Hinata's Got It Going On!
by RainingSprinklesDownMyThroat
Summary: Hinata felt rejection's sting in middleschool and vowed to change for the better! Now in highschool she's dressed to impress, but she still feels like the timid little girl in a puffy jacket. Will her new friends help her become confident? HinaX?Akatsuki
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: Naruto's not mine!! I'm only borrowing the characters and putting them in weird situations!

Yay, second story! :D

Okay, I really let out my inner love for Hinata in this. She really is cute! x3

Typical high school romance story, since the last story turned out horribly dark. . .

_Sometimes it takes heartbreak to heal. . ._ --random line I found in my head that inspired my story.

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At the end of eight grade Hinata Hyuuga finally worked up the nerve to confess to her crush, Naruto Uzumaki. It would be generous to say that he turned her down kindly. At first he gawked in bewilderment, then started laughing, claiming that Hinata was funny for joking around with him. When she protested and told him that she was deadly serious. Naruto managed a flat "Oh." After an awkward moment he said, "Gomen, but I just never thought about you that way, Hinata-san. I mean, I always thought you were a lesbo."

Distressed by her crush's harsh words, Hinata ran home crying. Collapsing in sobs on her mattress, she fell asleep. When she awoke she vowed to change.

After a grueling summer, she had perfected her look.

The timid girl had spent the summer growing out her hair, happy to find it reached a bit passed her shoulders, she decided to keep her straight bangs. It would be simpler that way she presumed. She also started to wear make-up. A bit of eyeliner, light eye shadow, and clear lip gloss. She also managed to sort out a decent wardrobe. Her puffy jackets, loose fitting jeans, sweatpants, and comfortable sneakers were tossed out. Her closet was now fully equipped with mini skirts, short shorts, low-cut shirts, spaghetti straps, flip flops, heels, and pink converse. She was prepared for starting high school, or so she hoped.

Stepping onto the campus, Hinata felt her confidence falter. She'd chosen to dress in a tight fitting navy blue spaghetti strap with a low-cut that revealed her busty cleavage, a hot white miniskirt showing off her long slender legs, and simple white flip flops. She looked drop dead gorgeous to all that passed her, but inside she felt like the same little mousy girl that wore a puffy jacket.

A passing boy wolf whistled at Hinata, winking mischievously. The girl felt an unwilling blush creep over her features. Then she shook her head violently. No, no, no! She snapped at herself. Hinata knew she had to be strong and bold if she was going to be noticed and accepted.

Taking a deep breath, the girl calmed down. Straightening her back, head high, the Hyuuga marched towards the school.

Hinata headed for her locker, located on the second floor. Oblivious to her admirers' stares, she reached her locker safely. Turning the dial, she found that the door would not open. She tried a second time and it did not yield. Becoming frustrated with herself she knocked her forehead against the locker.

"What're you doing?" asked an incredulous observer.

Startled by the voice, Hinata jumped. She whirled around to see a boy standing a foot away from her, leaning casually against the lockers next to hers.

She noted he was relatively taller and appeared a year or so older. He was dressed in a thin white shirt, the long sleeves rolled up above his elbows, and the buttons were all undone except for three of the lowest buttons had been fastened to hold the shirt together, and the collar was neatly tucked down. His exposed chest was broad and muscular displaying a silver sort of amulet dangling from his neck. The boy also had silver hair, slicked back and out of his face and strangely his eyes were a violet tint, staring at her quizzically.

"I-I, um, w-well," she stammered hopelessly. Without noticing it, her hands desperately motioned to the locker. "Y-you see, it wouldn't. . .a-and I, um, tr-tried. . .uh. . ."

_Onegai. . .somebody shoot me, _pleaded the Hyuuga inwardly. She was already too tongue-tied to speak.

The upperclassmen merely watched in fascination as the indigo-haired girl stuttered. He found the display amusing. When he'd approached the frustrated female, he'd intended to harass the preppy girl, but he realized she did not fit the profile. In fact, he found her to prove even more fun.

"Whoa, slow down there, Hime," he said, chuckling. He grinned wider when he saw the blush deepen across her cheeks as she quieted. "I was just gonna tell you that, that's _my_ locker."

The Hyuuga's eyes widened at the discovery. It suddenly occurred to her that it made sense. That was the reason behind it not opening for her. She felt like a baka.

"G-gomenasai!" cried Hinata, completely embarrassed. She backed away from the now foreign locker, her eyes examining it more closely to see that it read: _**213. **_Her locker number was clearly printed as _**212**_.

The boy couldn't help laughing at her innocence. It was. . . he searched for the right word. . . cute. . . ? Nah. . . more like . . . down right _adorable_, the way she tripped over her own words and blushed so easily.

"It's cool, Hime," he assured her, shaking his head slightly as his laughs subsided. "What's your name?"

"H-Hinata H-Hyuuga," mumbled the girl, taking a small step toward the locker next to his own.

Her hand shakily started turning the dial, and he couldn't help wondering if it really was her locker this time. As he watched it click open without a problem he felt it safe to assume it was.

"Well, Hinata-hime," he said, feeling satisfied with his nickname for her. "I'm Hidan, I'm a junior this year. You?"

Her hand pulling a pristine textbook from the confines of her locker, as she replied, "Fr-freshman."

Hidan nodded. He'd assumed so, since he'd never seen her on campus before. Not that he could remember every face. Still, he was a guy and he did often notice the cuties. Which he could see this girl definitely was, pretty sexy even with that body of hers.

Violet eyes continued to linger on her chest for a moment, until noticing the lack of conversation.

As he opened his mouth to speak the bell rang. Hidan huffed, knowing that he had to head to class. He opened up his locker and snatched his Chemistry book, dropping it into his backpack. When he slammed his locker the girl beside him jumped at the sound. He chuckled, she was gonna need some help.

Then glancing up at her, Hidan said, "See you 'round, Hime." He waved as he stalked off down the hall, leaving Hinata to watch him leave.

She hurried to her first class, it was across the campus in the ART building. She'd decided to take Art for an elective. She's assumed it would be an easy and less demanding subject to have as a freshman, plus she believed it would be relaxing. She was glad she'd got it for a first period, it would give her time to mellow out before the rest of her classes. She peered down at her schedule, noting the room number before entering the class.

Inside the room, her porcelain white eyes met with none other than the two violet orbs of Hidan. He was seated at the farthest table in the back. She was shocked to see him in her art class, her eyes darted to the board searching for any sort of confirmation that it was indeed her art class.

'Welcome Art Students' was scrawled on the white board.

Then Hinata turned back to the equally surprised silver-haired boy. A smile stretched across his face as he waved her over. Part of her was thankful for the gesture, the other part was screaming at her to take the closest seat so she didn't have to make her way through the maze of tables and chairs hosting other students. She gulped and pushed forward, taking the longest route to where Hidan sat.

"Hime, never thought I'd see you in this stupid class," stated the boy, looking quite relaxed by her presence. Hidan hadn't wanted to take art to begin with, but it was required that he take some form of an art course to graduate. Not that he gave a damn about graduating. Hidan noted that Hinata was still standing, looking rather out of place. He sighed before commanding, "Sit down."

"H-hai," complied the Hyuuga.

She took the seat across from him and it suddenly hit her that there was another being at the same table, in the seat next to hers. She glanced over at a blonde laying slumped over on the table, apparently sleeping. All Hinata could discern from the person's position that they had long, thick, butter yellow hair tied up in a high ponytail.

Hidan noticed that the blonde had caught her attention and rolled his eyes.

"That's Deidara," he introduced lazily. "Stupid git isn't a morning person." He reached a balled hand across the table and knocked it against his friend's skull.

"Fuck," groaned the blonde, sitting up with sluggish movements. He glared at Hidan, knowing it was the damned religious freak who'd assaulted him. "What's your goddamned problem, hmm?"

Deidara couldn't stand waking up so freaking early every damn day just to drag his ass to school. Personally he was tempted to just drop out in middle school, if it wasn't for his dad being such a hard ass. So, he'd found himself arrive at school only to pass out in his favorite class after taking his seat. Now, Hidan thought it would be fucking funny to pester the blonde and get his rocks off it.

"This is Hinata," said the blonde's attacker, unexpectedly.

Deidara turned to his right, finding a cute girl seated next to him. She was blushing at the sound of her name. Deidara couldn't help but find her attractive and cursed himself for looking dumb by sleeping.

"H-hello," she greeted hesitantly. "N-nice to m-meet you, um, D-Deidara-san."

Deidara waved his hand flippantly as he said, "-kun, is fine. Being called -san is weird."

"G-gomen-ne, D-Deidara-kun!" Hinata apologized hurriedly.

Deidara was surprised by her intense reaction to his statement. She was obviously shier than she looked.

"She's not very good with words," remarked Hidan flatly.

This brought back her blush as she peered down at the table in front of her. She pushed her hair behind her left ear nervously.

"I-I've always st-stuttered," Hinata nervously admitted. She kept her eyes fixated on the speck of green paint on the table's edge. She wanted her eyes averted from that of the two boys', knowing it would only make the blush worse.

Deidara cocked his head to the side, brow furrowing as he asked, "Why?"

"I h-have, um, n-no c-confidence," she answered meekly, feeling disappointment flood over her. It was the sad truth. She may have worked up the nerve into wearing a scandalous outfit yet she still found herself being the same timid girl in the puffy jacket.

"That's fucking retarded," snapped Hidan, causing Hinata to glance up, startled, and meet his gaze. She hadn't expected him to have such a foul mouth. "Come on, Hime. You look like _that_," he gestured to her body, half hidden beneath the table, "and you aren't confident?"

"I-I, um, w-well, y-you see," spluttered Hinata, gazing down at the table again, violently blushing. "I n-never th-thought of myself th-that w-way."

"Well, you should," commanded Hidan, leaning back in his chair.

Hinata glanced up to see Deidara nodding in encouragement.

"R-really?" she squeaked.

Deidara was derailed by her incredulous question. He couldn't believe she didn't know she was gorgeous. Was Hinata really that clueless?

"Well, fuck," breathed Hidan. "Yeah you are, right Dei?" A grin spread over his angelic features.

"That's right, hmm," his friend hummed in agreement. "You should be more confident."

A smile pulled at the corners of Hinata's mouth, grateful to the boys for cheering her up and being so nice to her.

"A-arigato," she whispered, unable to retain her giddy feeling. "You b-both are really n-nice." She giggled sweetly.

Hidan and Deidara looked taken aback. She'd actually smiled _and_ laughed, she looked even prettier than she had a minute ago. The boys felt their hearts flutter just from witnessing such a cute expression. Her adorableness was like a crime, she attacked them from the inside.

As the two of them were melting on the table, ogling their hime, another approached the table. It was a boy with striking, tousled, locks of blood-red hair. His crimson eyes observed the scene of his two friends fawning over a small girl and he couldn't help but to be curious as to _why_. From where he stood, she seemed like any other girl. Dressed slutty, medium length hair, and she was cute. In the boy's view the girl seemed average enough.

Without a single greeting, the redhead joined the table. He seated himself next to Hidan, rather than the unidentified female. All three of the previous table owners glanced over at the intruder.

"Hey, Sasori-chan, thought you weren't coming today?" questioned Deidara, a simple grin on his features. Hinata's warm smile seemed to have boosted his energy.

Hidan's expression twisted as he asked, "How come?"

"My parents were arguing again," stated the redhead flatly. "My mom didn't want me to go to this school, she threatened to lock me in my room. So, they started fighting and in the end I went out the back door as they weren't looking and caught the bus." He sighed at the troublesome memory.

"Well, least you made it," laughed the blonde. He was quite used to Sasori and his parent's situation. They were on the brink of divorce and it resulted in constant fighting. Sasori remained as cool and reserved as ever, but his blonde best friend could see the changes. All divorces hurt the children involved, no exceptions.

"And who's this?" asked Sasori, his gaze drifting to the girl again. Watching with a sparked interest as she blushed.

"I-I'm H-Hinata H-Hyuuga," she hastily stammered to the new boy. "N-nice to m-meet y-you, uh . . .

"Sasori," he stated, his head tilted to the side as she stuttered.

"S-Sasori, um, -k-kun?" asked Hinata hesitantly, remembering Deidara's dislike for the honorific '-san'.

Deidara could see the irrational reasoning behind her question. He'd already sensed she was overly attentive. "You can call him whatever you like Hinata-chan."

Sasori rolled his eyes, questioning inwardly, _Since when is Deidara in charge of _my_ name?_ Though he didn't see any harm, obviously the poor girl was painfully timid. Still, he figured she'd be fun to tease.

The sensei entered and the class quieted. The first lesson was quite boring, only discussing the topics they'd be covering over the year. Hinata realized all her lessons would most likely be this way for the day, being a freshman. By the time class was nearly over, Kurenai-sensei set the students loose to draw freely.

About ten minutes before they were to be excused, Sasori asked,

"What is that you're drawing, Hinata-kun?" Since, he'd caught a glimpse at it yet could not place what it was a drawing of. The other two looked up, also curious as to what she'd drawn.

"Uh, w-well, it's. . .um, i-its. . .h-here." She showed the group her drawing, removing her hands from their view, absolutely embarrassed.

They all stared in wonder at the piece of paper.

"It looks like. . ." mumbled Hidan, scrutinizing the artwork.

Sasori's brow furrowed, eyes narrowing, as he said, "A cup. A cup of. . ."

"Ramen, hmm?" questioned Deidara, head sideways.

Hinata nodded, eyes firmly glued to the drawing before her. She didn't want to see their reactions. She surprised herself by drawing the ramen, knowing full well which blonde boy ate ramen like it was the only food in the world. She was afraid they were all going to burst out laughing at the ridiculous scribbles on the page.

"Well, it's, uh, nice I guess," commented Hidan after a moment. He shrugged, to each his own.

"Yeah, nice ramen," encouraged Deidara happily, picking up his own drawing and holding it up for her to see. "I drew a spaceship, hmm!"

"H-huh?" squeaked Hinata, peering up at Deidara's piece. It was flawless. In fact it looked professionally drawn. The straight curves, almost lifelike flames, the beautiful shading, all of it was superb. "W-wow! That's a-amazing! Amazing, D-Deidara-kun!"

Deidara grinned smugly, smirking at Hidan.

Aggravated, the other man showed his drawing to the girl.

"Oi, what about my drawing, Hime?" inquired Hidan, unable to hide his jealousy.

She turned to see another wonderful piece of art. She recognized it as Hidan's pendent, that hung proudly around his neck. It was dangling in someone's hand. The lovely perspective, nice shading, and again lifelike hand was all brilliant. She wondered if they really were professionals.

"I-it's b-beautiful! S-so good! Y-you're a-amazing-l-ly t-talented!" praised Hinata, awed by their skills.

Hidan immaturely stuck his tongue out at Deidara, who was depressed by her equal enthusiasm for his friend's art.

Then Deidara caught a glimpse of Sasori's work and snickered.

"Oi, Sasori-chan, lemme see you're picture!" called Deidara, eagerly reaching across the table. His voice had been loud enough to reach the other side of the room.

"No," snapped the redhead, pulling the paper away from his friend. He hid it behind the back of his chair, blankly staring at Deidara.

Then, Hidan slyly reached down and snagged the drawing from Sasori. The redhead jumped up to steal it back, but Hidan was quicker and raced around to the other side of the table. He presented his findings to Hinata and Deidara. The three looked down at the paper, gawking.

It was a sketch of a cute girl drawing a picture of her own, a cute girl that looked just like Hinata. Sasori's own artistic skills were strongest when it came down to human anatomy and portraits. Hinata looked beautiful in the gray and white sketch. Her look of determination as she worked on her own paper in the picture was perfect. They could distinguish the small reproduction of her ramen doodle beneath her hand.

Hinata was speechless, she'd never seen a portrait of herself. She couldn't help but feel that she did not compare to Sasori's perfect illustration. The blood boiled to her cheeks as her eyes continued to linger on the picture and she began to feel faint.

"Give it back!" demanded Sasori, easily swiping it away from the dumbfounded pious boy. He was a bit flustered, he hadn't intended to show anyone the drawing. He felt captivated by her determination to execute her work, she looked stunning as her pencil glided over the white sheet. It was only natural that he drew the scene. It had come out fairly well too.

"Somebody's gotta crush on Hinata-chan!" proclaimed Deidara in a singsong voice, grinning deviously.

Hidan couldn't help laughing at Sasori's humiliated expression, it was one of the only time the redhead displayed emotion.

The bell rang through the classroom and the sound of chairs scraping and papers shuffling filled the room as the students departed.

"Ugh," groaned the blonde, dreading his next class. "Seeing Asuma-sensei this early in the day is a crime. I gotta go. See ya' later, Hinata-chan, guys." He waved before heading out the door.

Hidan began to follow him, pausing in the doorway as he turned back to Hinata.

"You coming, Hime?" he asked impatiently.

Hinata nodded. "H-hold on." She gathered her bag off the floor as a thought drifted into her head. Had she made friends? Were these boys her friends? Or just guys in her class that would be nice to her? It was still unclear to the Hyuuga.

"Um, Hinata-kun?" came Sasori's voice from behind her. She whirled around, to see him holding his drawing outstretched. "If you'd like, you can keep the picture."

"R-really!?" she practically screamed at him, she was so excited.

He nodded, a bit taken off guard by her outburst. She took it, glancing down at the paper a blush spreading onto her cheeks again.

"A-arigato, Sasori-kun!" she squealed delighted. "I l-love it! R-really, I-I do!" Hinata grinned warmly at the redhead, inwardly thinking, _maybe I have found friends_.

He smiled back, unable to stifle it seeing her honest reaction. He could understand why Deidara and Hidan had melted over the girl. She was extremely kind and genuine.

"Come on, Hime!" growled Hidan from the doorway. "I'm gonna leave without you!"

Hinata jumped, hurrying to the door with Sasori. "G-gomen-ne, I-I'm r-ready n-now."

To be continued!

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Arigato for reading!

What'd you think? I'm kinda nervous bout uploading things. It would really help to hear that you like my story pr how to make it better!

I haven't exacted decided where I'm going with this yet. Hinata will definitely end up with someone, but I don't know who. . . wanna give me some ideas?

I like taking suggestions and such about pairings, my little sis gives me them a lot. The entire cast of Naruto will be added in eventually too, I believe. So it can really be anyone!

That's all for now! :]


	2. Chapter Two

Hey everyone! I couldn't sleep last night and wrote the next chapter :)

**Disclaimer**: Naruto is not mine! Other wise the Akatsuki would still be alive and kicking ass!

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Exiting the Art building, the three crossed the quad, only to find Deidara keeping a short dark-haired boy at bay with his open palm pressed to the kid's forehead.

"Deidara-sempai!" whined the boy, reaching out to embrace the blonde with little luck. His hands only grasping air.

Grimacing, the older boy ground out through his clenched teeth, "Tobi, I said, just because you go to my school now does _not_ mean you can hug me."

"Hello, Tobi-kun," greeted Sasori with no enthusiasm as he passed by.

Without ceasing his attempts to hug his sempai, the boy replied, "Morning, Sasori-kun!"

Sniggering, Hidan said, "How's it going, kid?"

"Good, good, Hidan-san!" answered Tobi happily. "Tobi is a good boy!" He'd found his favorite sempai and was determined to get his arms around the blonde. The dark-haired boy strained his arms further, extending his reach by a few more centimeters.

Hidan shook his head, laughing at the scene. It was expected of Tobi to act in such a silly manner, it was just the kid's way of doing things. He noted Hinata as she looked on in wonder at the pair, squabbling like siblings.

"That's Tobi," informed Hidan impassively. "He's a frosh, like you. Kinda hyper, but he's an alright kid I suppose." He stared at Tobi, still whining. "Gets on my fuckin' nerves sometimes though."

Suddenly Deidara raced around Hinata and childishly hid behind her.

"Hinata-chan, save me, hmm!" he pleaded, his hands grasping her shoulders.

"W-what? I-I c-can't do th-that!" she stuttered, looking wide-eyed at Tobi. She noticed that a white patch covered his left eye, like he'd just been from the hospital.

"Hinata-chan?" questioned Tobi curiously. Then a smile spread across his face. Deidara yelped, backing away as Tobi threw his arms around the girl. "You're so cute~!"

Stunned by his sudden action, Hinata was speechless. She felt her temperature rise again and she couldn't do anything to stop the boy from squeezing her.

Sasori smacked his hand to his forehead, the girl was doomed.

Angrily, it was Hidan who reacted first. He gripped the back of the Tobi's shirt, yanking him off the woozy girl. She shakily stumbled backward, crashing into Sasori's arms as he caught her.

"Tobi, look what you did, hmm!" accusingly shouted the blonde, his finger outstretched towards Hinata.

The dizzied girl was steadying herself with Sasori's assistance, clutching his arm for support. He turned to offer Hinata in order to lend a hand when two arms slid around his waist from behind and someone crashed into his backside. Deidara cried out, startled by the contact, forced to take a few steps forward.

"Sempai!" triumphantly came Tobi's voice from Deidara's back. He pressed his cheek into the back of his sempai's school uniform, nuzzling him happily.

"TOBI!" shouted the antagonized blonde.

Deidara's hands flew to his midsection, attempting to rip the clinging freshman's arms off him. To his dismay, Tobi had an iron grip when it came to hugs. Deidara-sempai was not getting out of this one!

"Tobi-chan, let him go," ordered an exasperated upperclassman, joining the fray. The newest addition to the group was tall and had a unique appearance. Earthy green hair was mussed at the top of his head, giving way to an odd divide at his forehead. The older boy was split down the middle by contrasting skin colors, papery-white on his left and inky black on his right. His eyes were like golden spheres, staring down the young dark-haired boy fiercely.

Tobi let out a whine, grudgingly loosening his grip.

Freed, Deidara raced behind his savior. Hiding behind Zetsu, the blonde felt safer. The agitated junior was the only known person who could stop Tobi from pestering his superiors. Zetsu was like an older brother to Tobi and it was a lifesaver for Deidara, since he constantly needed rescuing from the young freshman.

"Hiya, Zetsu-san!" greeted Tobi, completely recovered from his loss of his sempai. As Tobi raced towards Zetsu, Deidara made a break for it hurrying to Sasori instead.

The composed redhead sighed, successfully rehabilitating Hinata.

"Are you okay, Hinata-chan?" asked Deidara, looking concerned.

She nodded, smiling meekly.

Deidara looked at her skeptically, adding, "It's okay if you were scared, hmm. Tobi's just an annoying brat!" Childishly, he stuck his tongue out at the dark-haired boy, making him whimper sadly at the rejection.

"I'm f-fine, r-really," she assured him. "I was just . . .s-surprised." She gulped, regaining composer. "It w-wasn't Tobi-kun's f-fault."

"See!" called Tobi, feeling empowered by her statement. "Hinata-chan likes Tobi!"

"No, she doesn't!" argued the blonde.

"Does so!"

"Does not, hmm!"

"Yes, she does! She does! Hinata-chan likes Tobi!"

"Pl-please stop f-fighting!" pleaded Hinata; she didn't want to cause anyone turmoil. "I l-like everyone, o-okay?"

"Ha!" exclaimed Tobi, victorious.

That made Deidara snap, glaring he charged at the boy, ready to sock him in the face. His hand balled into a fist, pulling back to slam Tobi with all his might.

"Eeek!"

"Deidara!"

Hidan caught Deidara's elbow before his blow actually met skin. The blonde's head snapped towards his friend and shot him a loaded look.

"It's the first day, give it a rest, seriously," scolded Hidan sternly.

Inwardly seething, Deidara snatched his backpack off the ground and stormed away, disappearing from view into the school building.

Tears swelling in his one visible eye, Tobi ran off in the other direction, followed closely by a concerned Zetsu.

"I-is this m-my fault?" asked Hinata, appalled with herself, glancing back and forth towards the directions they stomped off to.

"Nah, Deidara just has a short fuse when Tobi's involved," said Sasori plainly, shaking his head disappointedly.

"They're both dumbasses if you ask me," Hidan piped up, frowning. "Deidara should just fucking cut Tobi some slack. The kid loves him, for some bizarre reason." He rolled his violet orbs.

The school bell rang.

"W-we're late!" cried Hinata abruptly alarmed. In her distress she glanced at the other two, bewildered by their complacent expressions. The thought of being late hadn't bothered the older boys; both didn't seem to mind.

"Oh, well," muttered Sasori, shrugging. "It wouldn't be the first time. Kakashi-sensei is used to me being late after last year."

"Same here," said Hidan, turning to Hinata. "We'll walk you to class, Hime. Come on."

She nodded, accepting their offer. She was going to argue the point, but she greedily wanted them to stay with her. When she walked into the empty halls their presence comforted her, reminding her that there was no reason to be intimidated.

Upon arriving to the basement floor, housing four classrooms and the custodian's closet, the two led Hinata to her class at the end of the hall. Iruka-sensei was not kind seeing the hime's bodyguards.

"You're late Hyuuga!" he snapped angrily. "And what are you two doing here?"

"G-gomenasai!" cried Hinata apologetically.

Unfazed by the sensei's harshness, Sasori coolly explained, "Gomen, it's our fault that Hinata-kun is late."

"So, being the _responsible _students we are, we had to walk her to class, right, Sensei?" asked Hidan blatantly using a lame excuse. He smirked at Iruka.

The sensei was livid.

"We'll be going now, Hinata-kun," said Sasori impassively, apparently oblivious to the fuming man at the head of her classroom. That or he couldn't care less that he could land himself detention for his disregard for the rules.

"See you after class, Hime," added Hidan, already walking away. Sasori was quick to trail after him, waving slightly at Hinata, completely straight-faced.

The indigo-haired girl was now alone and her nerves were unsettling. She turned to her sensei, peering at the white classroom floor, silently waiting to be scolded.

"Get to your seat, Hyuuga," grumbled her sensei, feeling sorry for the girl. She didn't seem like the typical gang banger and Iruka could only assume they were harassing the poor child. If he was wrong then it was just one more ruffian in the class.

Iruka-sensei knew of the delinquent gang known as Akatsuki, all the staff knew. The gang always caused mischief, started fights, ditched class, and other such incidents. The sensei was cringing inside to see that one of them might be in this class.

Hinata entered the classroom, peering at the already seated students. Her cheeks burned when she recognized they were staring at her. Gulping, she took a step forward. Then part of her relaxed a bit when she heard someone call "Hina-chan" in a familiar voice.

Searching for the source, the indigo-haired girl's eyes met with two calm pools of pale blue, surrounded by an inch of black eyeliner. Slightly above the left eye, there was a red tattoo with the kanji for _love_. A hood of black sweatshirt was thrown over his head of crimson red hair. Hinata was staring at Sabaku no Gaara, seated in the back row. He was also known as the Hyuuga's best friend.

A smile broke across her face. There was an empty seat next to him and he motioned her to join him. Grateful, she hurried to the back and seated herself next to the red-haired boy.

"H-Hi, Gaara-chan," she cheerfully greeted him.

"You look great," he told her, expressionlessly.

She blushed; Gaara was so nice to her.

"Arigato," the Hyuuga whispered, embarrassed.

Iruka-sensei noticed this exchange and sternly warned, "Quiet in the back."

Gaara rolled his eyes at their new sensei and Hinata let out a small giggle, she was glad that he was in her class.

Gaara had acted as the Hyuuga's bodyguard during middle school, protecting her from bullies. Being different himself, the others shunt him. Hinata was the same way so he felt drawn to her. They became best friends over time. Though, Gaara felt guilty that people became scared of Hinata in the process. She was quick to reassure him that it didn't matter.

The redhead was pleased that she was striving to be popular, it proved that she wanted to like herself, but part of him could not evade the strangling feelings that she would leave him behind.

As Hinata focused her attention on the board where Iruka was writing about the topics of the first semester, something poked her elbow. Startled she peered up at Gaara, then down at an open notebook. There were words written sloppily on the first two lines.

**Who were those guys?**

A blush crept to the Hyuuga's cheeks, she wished he hadn't noticed. She picked up the pen to write a reply nonetheless.

_**Some new friends I made last period, in art. They're nice.**_

Gaara looked at her skeptically, raising his brow.

**They didn't look like freshmen. How old are they?**

Hinata could tell where he was going with this and knew he was being overprotective.

_**Hidan-kun is a junior & Sasori-kun is a sophomore. --Why are you asking?**_

**Just checking . . . If they hurt you I'll ****kill**** them.**

Hinata's eyes widened, glancing up at Gaara. His blank expression was sound, he meant every word. Seeing Hinata's frantic look, the redhead sighed, but he wasn't going to make any promises. Still, he had to say something or the Hyuuga was going to freak out.

**I'll play nice.**

The girl's tension loosened, as she read the words on the paper. Hinata was relieved that he was going to be pleasant. Though she found her thoughts drifting to a subject she'd never had much luck in.

Hinata was barely able to hold a conversation with a boy, let alone date one. That was going to be a challenge. One that would come much later, since she was still in her stuttering state. She decided when she could speak straight, she would find a boyfriend.

Disheartened, she sighed, _not that anyone would _want _to date me_. Her thoughts strayed further, back to her middle school experience. Boys never reacted well to her, she was the center of their teasing. The Hyuuga then recalled why she was dressed preppy.

_No, I'm different now! _She reasoned, focusing on the confidence that she'd been desperately attempting to gain over the summer. Encouraged, she thought boldly, _I can get a boyfriend if I want to! I'm Hinata Hyuuga! The gorgeous hime of Konoha High!_

"Hina-chan, are you okay?"

"Huh?" Hinata turned to Gaara, puzzled by his baffled appearance. Then she realized why he was looking at her in such a way. In her day dreaming, she'd bundled her hand into a fist and raised it above her head. Her fist punched into the air, Hinata blushed, retracting her hand. She prayed that she hadn't actually voiced her fantasies.

"Oh, u-um, it w-was n-nothing," she assured him. Absentmindedly she found herself snagging a stray hair and tucking it quickly behind her ear. She gazed intently at the empty desk before her.

_Baka, baka, baka, baka,_ she inwardly chanted.

The school bell dismissed the class a half hour later, bustling the anxious students off to their short fifteen minute break before third period.

Hinata let out a sigh, relief washed over her. A break and so far she'd survived her first section of the day, not bad. Two classes down, four more to go. . .

"Hyuuga-san, I would like to speak with you," announced Iruka-sensei, at her from his desk.

Her shoulders stiffened, fearing that she'd done something bad. Wide-eyed and fearful, she warily approached the head of the class, pausing before the large desk housing her sensei.

"H-hai, S-Sensei?"

"Listen, Hyuuga-san," began Iruka gently, he only wished to give her some friendly advice. "I noticed that those boys that brought you here were kind of rough. If they're bullying you, you can confide in me. They're problem students."

"N-no!" shouted Hinata, taken aback by her own outburst. "I mean, S-Sensei. . .Hidan-kun and Sasori-kun are m-my f-friends! H-honest! They w-weren't b-bullying me a-at all! Th-they're r-really nice, a-actually! S-so, p-please, d-don't say m-mean th-thing's about th-them." She swallowed hard, fixing her gaze on her toenails, painted dark purple with tiny white dots resembling flowers.

"I apologize," said Iruka-sensei incredulously. "You're free to go."

The Hyuuga nodded, scampering out of the class. The stairs were bustling with students escaping from the basement level, off to join up with their friends. Her shy nature caused her to hang back, rather than join the stampede. She assumed it would be better to wait for the stairs to be cleared than to be knocked around by the others.

"Hina-chan," came Gaara's voice from behind her. She whirled around, smiling because he waited for her. Of course, that was what best friends are for.

The break ended too soon and Hinata was forced to head to her third class of the day, math. She was placed in the geometry, since she took algebra a year early. That meant she was going to be in a class with students that were older than herself.

Upon opening the door, Hinata had not expected to see Sasori and Hidan at the back of the room. The feeling was mutual when they saw her enter the class.

"Hime, are you stalking me?" asked Hidan, teasing her.

"N-no!" she denied, blushing at the accusation. "I, um, al-r-ready t-took algebra l-last y-year." She wandered over to them.

"Wow, you must be fucking smart!" remarked Hidan, impressed. "I'm taking this class _again_, thanks to Sarutobi-sensei. Damn old codger wouldn't pass me."

"You had a 7 percent, no one would pass you," Sasori bluntly stated.

"Shut the fuck up, Sasori," snapped Hidan, irritated. Then he turned back to the indigo-haired girl, standing at the side of the class by the two boy's desks, all the way in the back to the right. He wondered how she faired in her last class, acting like that.

"Hinata-kun, you may sit down," Sasori pointed out politely.

When she turned to find a seat, Hidan's foot collided with the chair in front of him, causing the brunette who occupied it to yelp.

"What the hell's you're problem?" barked the boy, looking annoyed and then noticing who had hit his chair, he became uneasy.

Forcefully Hidan ordered, "Move, asshole. She's sitting there."

"H-Hidan-kun!" wailed Hinata. She could find a different seat, but after the brunette glanced at the timid hottie next to the jerk, who'd kicked him, he stood and moved up at seat.

Smug, Hidan looked pleased with himself as he offered Hinata the now open seat. She took it, thanking the boy who'd given it up for her before the class began. The Hyuuga was beginning to see what Iruka-sensei had meant by '_rough_', but she could sense that they meant well by it.

Hinata giggled to herself, feeling unusually giddy. The only thing she could describe the bubbly warm phenomenon in the pit of her being was friendship.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXX TO BE CONTINUED XXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Arigato for reading~! :)

**A/N**: I love Gaara! So I HAD to make him Hinata's BFF. They look cute together, yeah? And originally I wrote the scene that had Gaara in it with Tobi instead, but it didn't work out that well and the story wasn't progressing at all. Tobi's too fun to write so it got really silly!

And couples are still up in the air while I'm introducing the rest of the characters, so voice you're opinions and I'll definitely try working them into the story! (no matter how odd because I like crack pairings!)


	3. Chapter THR33

**Hey everyone! Next Chapter! Hope you like it :)**

**Disclaimer**: _Naruto_ and party are **not** mine.

**xXxXxXx Chapter 3 xXxXxXx**

Hinata's next class was freshman's history, there wasn't going to be anyone to save her from sitting alone this time. It was all on her. She arrived early since it was only next door to her last class and she couldn't have Hidan and Sasori be late for their own classes again. After waving them off she crossed the threshold, wary of the four students already seated. Keeping her chin up and back straight, the Hyuuga headed to the back of the class with poise. She chose the back because it was out of the way and it seemed to be the consistent pattern of the day.

She took a deep breath, squeezed her eyes shut, and took the seat at the very back, one over from the left side. She felt overjoyed that she'd managed to chose a seat all on her own. No one had to make her sit down either.

A small feat, that everyone else accomplished without thinking twice about, but for Hinata it was the first step of her independence. She couldn't hold back her thrilled smile.

"What're you smiling at?"

Hinata peered up inquisitively at the person who'd spoken. She recognized Sasuke Uchiha from her old middle school, the raven-haired boy looked a bit taken aback.

"Hinata-san?" the Uchiha questioned, evidently he had not recognizing Hinata before he addressed her.

Sasuke had simply thought it was weird to see a girl smiling to herself, females baffled him. When the indigo-haired girl looked up and he realized it was his old classmate, he was surprised. Hinata looked _different_.

"Um, h-hai," she replied, suddenly nervous. It was the first time she'd been noticed by an old classmate. The Hyuuga found it rather embarrassing, especially the way he was gawking at her. "I-is there s-something on my f-face?"

Sasuke hadn't noticed that he was staring until then. The Uchiha had come to a halt halfway up the isle when he identified the Hyuuga. Snapping from his semi-trance, Sasuke shook his head.

"No, I just didn't really recognize you," he clarified, continuing to the back of the class.

The raven-haired boy took the seat to Hinata's left. He hoped to avoid sitting next any squealing fangirls that managed to worm their way into his class. He'd been ducking admirers all day, it was tiresome. Knowing Hinata was nothing like them, he felt it would be safe to sit next to her. They did know each other most of their lives.

The Hyuuga and the Uchiha families were familiar with each other. The two family went way back and had a history. The history wasn't necessarily a good one, the families quarreled mercilessly. That did not mean that their was no semblance of friendship between them, and fortunately as of late the two households were harmonious.

Though, Hinata hardly conversed with Sasuke. Only rarely at family functions would they say hello. Hinata was always so intimidated by the youngest Uchiha and Sasuke didn't really feel like reaching out to change her views of him. She was always so shy and delicate, while Sasuke was bold and tough.

The girl before him wasn't quite the same.

"You really changed," he commented, his eyes landing unwillingly to her bare thighs. Sasuke couldn't remember Hinata wearing short skirts like that in all the years he'd known her.

"N-not r-really," the Hyuuga mumbled, only proving her point by stuttering. Her fingers yanked at her tiny skirt, stretching it farther over her skinny legs.

Sasuke's gaze hurriedly drifted back up to her face. She was obviously the same girl because Hinata was blushing as usual. He never noticed how cute she was, nothing like Ino or Sakura, who were annoying beyond belief. Hinata was quiet and reserved, she never gave him trouble. Maybe she wasn't that bad at all.

"Sup', Uchiha, who's the chick?" came a rowdy voice, followed by a chuckle. Hinata peered up to find Kiba Inuzuka, from her old middle school, the brunette looked a bit stunned.

Then Sasuke peered up expectantly at the Inuzuka, who's mouth was hanging open as his gaze was fixated on the embarrassed indigo-haired girl.

"You want something?" asked Sasuke, unconditionally irritated. Kiba wasn't exactly his friend and the brunette generally annoyed him with his egocentric mannerism.

The Inuzuka turned to Sasuke, not hearing a word he'd said. Then the brunette leaned in to whisper something into his sorta-friend's ear.

"Whoa, is that Hinata-san?"

"Yeah," Sasuke confirmed for her. He wondered why Kiba didn't ask her himself, as he fished out a notebook and ballpoint pen from his schoolbag.

To the Uchiha's disliking, the brunette sat himself down in the next seat up, twisting around to face them. He was grinning in his normal happy-go-lucky way.

"How's it going Hinata-chan?" asked Kiba casually, as if they'd been friends all their lives instead of exchanging words for one of the first times.

"F-fine," she replied, her voice was a mere squeak.

"Inuzuka, turn around!" demanded Anko-sensei. "Class is starting!"

Without their realizing, the class was filling up and Anko was already writing on the board despite the bell had yet to ring.

"Sensei, we still have another minute!" complained one of the girls, sitting up front.

Anko-sensei looked unsure of herself, checking the clock. Then after a small laugh she said, "Oh."

Always jumping the gun.

"Oh my God!" came a squeal from the doorway. Ino and Sakura had finally made their appearance spotting Sasuke with hawk like eyes, dead set on winning the Uchiha boy's heart.

"Looks like you're fan club's presidents showed up," mocked Kiba, laughing at the obvious detestation clear on Sasuke's face.

Luckily, the few seats surrounding the Uchiha were already filled. He sighed, relieved at this discovery. Class began, for real this time. The two infatuated girls threw loaded looks at Sasuke throughout the class, fortunately for Sasuke they were seated a safe distance away. He refused to indulge them with a smile or wave, only causing the two girls to work harder for his attention.

This period in particular seemed slow for Hinata. She was actually paying attention to Anko-sensei's ramblings. As was the Uchiha at her side, attempting to block out his fangirls' advances. Kiba would occasionally turn around and make comments, or ask the two of them questions. Aside from that, it was boring. The Hyuuga had gotten used to being inadvertently entertained by her new friends, they made her previous classes _lively_.

She let out an involuntary sigh.

"You okay?" whispered Sasuke, who had been gazing out the window until he'd heard her.

Hinata nodded, eyes at the head of the class where Anko was watching them. When their sensei looked away she admitted,

"Th-this is a b-bit boring."

Kiba sniggered, "You can say that again."

Sasuke's eyes wandered to the clock, noting the time with a dull enthusiasm as he informed them, "There's only five minutes left."

The Hyuuga and Inuzuka double checked with their own eyes, comforted by the fact.

"Hey, Hinata-chan, what are you doing for lunch?" asked Kiba abruptly, his voice hushed as he slightly turned in his chair.

"M-me?"

"Inuzuka!" snapped Anko impatiently. Kiba jumped, whirling back around for the fifth time that period. There was a subtle hint of terror that was emitted by the purple-haired woman, it ensued fear in her students hearts. She enjoyed that pleasure all year 'round.

Hinata pondered Kiba's question, since he dared not twist back around in his seat to repeat it. What was she going to do about lunch?

At first she assumed that she'd eat lunch with Gaara on campus somewhere, but the Hyuuga thought back to her new friends. They hadn't mentioned anything about wanting to have lunch with her. Would they even care?

Hinata also contemplated who else would be eating with Kiba, probably all the old gang. Hinata wondered if she was ready to face everyone all at once, especially a particular blonde. That would be a bit too uncomfortable the Hyuuga decided.

The bell let out a ring that carried faintly into the classroom.

Freely, Kiba whirled around in his seat and brought up his topic again.

"So, what do you say, Hinata-chan? Wanna have lunch? You too Uchiha!"

"Who's gonna be there?" asked Sasuke, considering the option only vaguely. It wasn't like he had made any other plans.

Kiba thought for a moment before replying, "Probably: me, Shino, Shikamaru, Choji, and ******."

Hinata blocked the last name from her mind, pretending she hadn't heard it.

"I-I was g-going to e-eat with s-someone else," squeaked Hinata, swiftly gathering up her belongings.

_That's right_, she thought to herself, _I'll be perfectly fine eating lunch with Gaara-chan_.

Kiba hastily added, "They can come too!"

"N-no!"

Now Sasuke looked at the flustered girl, surprised. She was red-faced and looked _angry_. The Uchiha hadn't thought Kiba had been exceedingly pestering her, all the brunette had done was offer her to eat lunch with him. Though Hinata reacted like he'd harassed her.

"Oi, Hime!"

The Hyuuga and the two boys' gazes were drawn to the open doorway, finding a silver-haired upperclassman. Hidan had his hands pressed onto either side of the doorway, leaning forward into the room.

"Come on, Hinata-chan! Let's go get lunch, hmm!" called Deidara, pushing Hidan through the entrance. The blonde quirked an eyebrow at the freshmen boys with her, immediately recognizing one of them.

"Oh, I-I'm coming!" she called to Deidara and Hidan, giving an apologetic smile to Sasuke and Kiba.

"Who're they?" questioned Kiba, looking curiously to Hinata.

Hinata slung her bag over her shoulder before answering, "M-my f-friends: H-Hidan-kun and S-Sasori-kun."

"They're _your_ friends?" asked Sasuke incredulously.

Of course the Uchiha knew them, Hidan and Sasori were also friends of his older brother, Itachi. The youngest Uchiha didn't like any of Itachi's friends. They were violent, cruel, and generally bad natured. The thought of Hinata, the cute and shy little Hyuuga, being _friends_ with them was absurd!

Hinata missed what he was getting at, merely saying, "G-gomen, I-I'm eating w-with th-them today. B-bye!" She waved, hurrying to the two impatient sempai.

Her pale eyes landed on Sasori, standing idly in the hallway. His face did not alter at the sight of her, as had Hidan and Deidara. Though the redhead could distinguish he was glad that Hinata was joining them.

"Finally," muttered Hidan, he shot a warning glance to the two boys who had been crowding around _his_ hime. Hinata sure was getting popular fast enough and part of Hidan didn't like that at all.

Deidara slung his arm around Hinata's shoulder, maliciously grinning over his own shoulder at the freshmen boy's behind him. He enjoyed making them feel inferior, especially if it would help keep them away from the pretty little jewel he'd found.

Sasori observed his friend's efforts with a vague interest. He got the, accurate, impression that Hinata would eventually be fought over. The redhead sighed, _oh well_.

"D-Deidara-kun, y-you're arm," stuttered Hinata, it wasn't as overbearing as Tobi's advance yet it brought out her blush all the same.

"Hmm?" he hummed, turning around to find her red-faced. Deidara didn't understand what she was trying to tell him.

Sasori sighed, nabbing the Hyuuga's arm and yanked her away from the blonde.

"Deidara, you're harassing Hinata-kun."

"Oh, gomen, Hinata-chan," Deidara properly apologized, though he was ticked off at his best friend. The blonde assumed Sasori wanted Hinata to himself.

The Hyuuga's escorts brought her safely to the cafeteria, where the four approached a lone table at the edge of the roomy cafeteria. It seemed oddly set up, the other tables were lined up vertically across the room while the single table was horizontal and placed at the very back. The other's didn't seem to notice or care. Tobi as well as two others were already seated. Upon the four reaching their destination, Tobi leapt from the bench.

"Hinata-chan!" he cried, ensnaring the unsuspecting girl in his loving arms.

The abrupt hug sent Hinata's head spinning. She was going to have to adjust to his physical display of emotions.

"T-Tobi-san!" she stammered, unable to do much of anything else in the given situation.

Hinata could not see who'd sternly said,

"Tobi-chan, let the poor girl go. **Now**."

There was a deep change in tones throughout the phrase, nonetheless Tobi's grip slackened and the dark-haired boy stopped squeezing her. It gave the Hyuuga girl an opportunity to glance up at the person who'd come to aid her.

It was the same exasperated senior from before who was divided down the middle by black and white. He was dressed in a plain gray T-shirt and jeans. His white hand was running it's fingers through his messy green hair, golden eyes silently scolding Tobi. The energetic boy was such a handful.

The boy to Zetsu's right was a sight as well. His skin was tinged blue and his hair was a shade or two darker of the same unusual color. His nose was pressed to his face and there were strange black markings on his cheeks. The boy's resemblance was that of a shark. He also chose to dress in the color, blue jeans and a plaid blue shirt over a plain white one. Hinata had never seen a blue person before, but being as polite as she was, her eyes averted immediately.

"Zetsu-san is no fun!" complained Tobi, reseating himself on the bench opposite the contrasting boy. "Hinata-chan, come sit with Tobi!"

"O-okay," she agreed, sitting down on his right.

Sasori took the seat on the Hyuuga's right, while Deidara circled around the table to get as far away from Tobi as possible, and Hidan conveniently vanished.

"Hinata-chan, what're you having for lunch, hmm?" asked Deidara curiously, he was still standing by the blue boy.

"Th-that's right!" she recalled, standing back up. "I-I'm h-having the school's l-lunch today!"

"Me too," remembered the blue one, who suddenly rose to his feet.

Zetsu shook his head while saying, "You're such a scatterbrain lately, Kisame-kun. **Seriously**." Again his voice changed and it somewhat startled the Hyuuga.

"Then let's go, hmm!" decided Deidara, who apparently also needed to retrieve his food from the lunchroom.

Along the way, Deidara more formally introduced Kisame to Hinata. Which was a good thing, since she was slightly afraid of the shark-like boy. Though when he said hello, he was very gentle. It put the indigo-haired girl at ease.

When the three returned with their food, Hidan and another boy had joined the table, munching on a homemade sandwich. The new addition had disheveled blackish hair, dark skin, and an almost acidic green tint to his eyes. He glimpsed at Hinata, nodded, and went back to his sandwich. The girl assumed it was his own way of accepting her.

"Where are the others?" asked Kisame, reseating.

Zetsu was the first to answer, "I heard Pein and Konan went to eat off campus. **Lucky bastard owns a car**. Yeah, Leader, is rich and spoiled. **Oh, here comes Itachi-san**. Where? **There you moron!** Oh."

Hinata got lost in the dialogue and felt herself getting dizzy as she grasped that Zetsu was having a conversation with _himself_, so much so that she hadn't noticed a silent Uchiha stride up to the table directly behind her.

"What're you doing here, Hinata-san?"

The Hyuuga had jumped at her name, whirling around to face the towering Uchiha. The two had become familiar with each other and were relatively friendly towards one another. Unlike his younger brother, Itachi had always been kind to Hinata. She'd even had a crush on him once when she was littler.

Back in middle school, Itachi would often tutor her with math and such at her father's request. She enjoyed Itachi's methods of teaching they were so much simpler. It was thanks to his efforts she found herself passing classes easily and becoming a bit of a nerd herself, but it came in handy now that she was in high school.

Itachi was dressed casually in darkwash jeans and a plain black T-shirt. His hair was back in its usual ponytail, with bangs swept to the side of his face. His eyes were pools of black as always as they stared down curiously at the small indigo-haired girl.

"I-Itachi-sempai," she greeted, not nearly as frightened as she'd been before. Actually she was sort of glad to see him. "H-how are you?"

"Fine," he responded flatly, his dark eyes narrowing. "That still doesn't answer my question though."

"Hinata-chan is Akatsuki's newest member!" Tobi eagerly replied, his hands shooting up like an explosion for emphasis.

"No, she isn't," corrected Sasori, deadpan as usual while he sipped his juice box.

Tobi looked like he'd been kicked, spinning to face the redhead, as he exclaimed, "Why not!? Tobi wants Hinata-chan in Akatsuki!"

"That's up to everyone. **Not just you, Tobi-chan**," said Zetsu, mildly scolding him with his harsh tone.

Deidara spoke up, "Hinata-chan could be in Akatsuki if she wants, hmm."

"She seems nice," added Kisame, flashing the girl a warm toothy smile.

"Tobi wants Hinata-chan to join!" repeated the energetic freshman.

Kakuzu gave a shrug, "Fine with me."

Itachi put forth a simple, "Sure."

"I say she can join. **I think she's hot**."

Sasori choked on his juice.

Everyone --excluding a certain coughing redhead-- did a double take, swerving to stare flabbergasted, incredulous, and wide-eyed at the green haired boy, looking content with his statement. The group was so stunned they were caught off guard by Hidan's outburst, though it did relinquish the thought going through everyone's mind --aside from Sasori, who was still chocking, and Tobi who was wondering what '_hot_' meant.

"What the fuck?!" he cried, looking perturbed. "Just let Hime join already!" The silver-haired junior had become irritated by the discussion and his friend's blunt remark.

"We better call Leader," announced Sasori, his voice raspy, finally alright thanks to Itachi giving him a slap on the back.

Then Tobi screamed,

"AHH!!! HINATA-CHAN IS DEAD!!!"

Lost throughout the chaos and confusion the poor child fainted. Everything was too much for her brain to process as it piled up and Zetsu's remark pushed her over the edge.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXX 2 BEE CONTINUED XXXXXXXXXXXXXX

**A/N:**

So, did you like it? I think it's getting a bit silly. Do you like it silly or should I fix it and get back to the story?

Also: **Adelaide 'Adell' Peirce --**Konan will be in the NEXT one, promise. She just wouldn't fit in this one.

And: --is that ZetsuHina? I've never really thought of the couple. So this is a first attempt.

Thanks to all my reviewers so far! You guys are awesome! ^-^

**Please keep reviewing! I'd love to help make your dreams come true! So tell me what you want! :)**


	4. Special Extra 1

Okay, so, this isn't the next chapter. It's a short extra.

It fits into this time slot though and follows the story line.

The next chapter was a _bitch_ to write. I had like writers block or something. I rewrote it THREE times and gave up for a few days. It wasn't working out well at all. I'm not really satisfied with the final version either, but it's better than my other attempts. And I ain't trying again! (Jeez I'm lazy)

So, in a ditch effort I typed up a quick 15 minute skit thing to help with the writers block. And you know what? It actually worked!

So in honor of this drabble helping me out, I'm uploading it!

(A/N at the bottom)

xXxXxXx

The sunlight slipped through the leaves and branches, raining its striking radiance in tiny speckles upon the green earth. The wind was carrying a lulling breeze that made the golden flecks dance as it swayed the trees. It was beautiful. It was peaceful. It was--

Ring. Ring. Ring.

A polished thumb smoothed over the flashing screen, illuminating a single name. Gradually forcing down the small button marked by a little blue dot, a muffled scream came from within the silver coated object.

Blue-gray eyes blinked, not expecting for such a sound to pass through the receiver. Though, remaining absolutely calm a melodically serene voice questioned,

"What is it, Tobi?"

"HINATA-CHAN IS DEAD!"

The child was bawling, screaming, and already giving her a migraine.

Since she knew not of a 'Hinata-chan' she further questioned,

"Who?"

"THE GREATEST GIRL EVER!"

Inwardly seething from that last remark, being female herself, she asked through gritted teeth,

"What happened?"

"ZETSU KILLED HER!"

There was a roar of protest in the background. A crash. And shouting about _panties_.

The blue haired woman let out a sigh, so troublesome.

"Pass the phone to Sasori-kun."

Distantly there was shouting for the seemingly occupied redhead. Then with a grumble a different voice was on the line.

"Sasori-chan's busy. What is it, hmm?" She recognized Deidara's voice, clearly irritated.

"Who is 'Hinata-chan' and _why_ did Zetsu kill her?"

"TOBI!"

The blonde had not pulled the phone away before his outburst, yelling directly into the her delicate ear and she cringed away from it.

Again more distant yelling that was indistinguishable flooded Konan's ear.

Next was surprisingly Kakuzu's deep voice on the phone, he said, somewhat distracted,

"The girl isn't dead. She simply passed out. And--Itachi, do something!-- it's getting a bit. . . _messy_ over here."

The voices in the background grew considerably louder now.

"DON'T DIE HINATA-CHAN!"

"Tobi. **She's not dead**."

"AHH! GET AWAY FROM TOBI, MURDERER!"

"You're gonna drop her!"

"I'm carrying her, hmm!"

"Both of you shut up and think of H--"

"Stay out of this Uchiha bastard I saw her first!"

"We should be focusing on Hinata-kun not fighting."

"So, you're on _his_ side, Sasori!?"

"Itachi-niisan, what're you doing to Hinata!?"

"Sasuke--"

"Hinata!"

"Move it, hmm!"

"Hey, Blondie, that's our friend you're carrying!"

"Fuck off, assholes!"

"What did you just--!?"

"Hand her over her or I'll _kill_ you."

"You mother--"

With a sigh she hung up the phone.

She turned her head to her orange haired friend. His unique spiraling eyes gazed curiously at the girl, head tilted to the left, silently inquiring about the phone call.

"We better get back to school," said the girl, adjusting the origami flower in her hair before getting onto her feet.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXX End of the Insanity XXXXXXXXXXXXXX

**Author Note:**

If you read this and was wondering who was in the last part of the fight it went like this:

**Tobi -- **"DON'T DIE HINATA-CHAN!"

**Zetsu**

**Tobi**

**Kisame**

**Deidara**

**Itachi**

**Sasori**

**Hidan**

**Sasuke**

**Itachi**

**Neji **

**Deidara**

**Kiba**

**Hidan**

**Kiba**

**Gaara**

**Hidan-- **"You mother--"

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**AND:**

**Everyone who reviewed: **Thanks for your kind words, critics, and ideas! They mean a lot to me, knowing that you enjoy reading.

**weirdchick: **Pein is definitely gonna be in there! I'm holding off on him though. I have BIG plans for him. *smirks evilly*

**SaphireWhiteWolf**: I fixed the spelling error, thanks for pointing it out! I personally hate grammar mistakes too.

**Suffix problem is fixed:**

Some people were questioning about the suffixes. It wasn't offensive at all btw. Actually it was helpful, but at first I was like "I'm doing it wrong!?" *totally freaking out* Then I calmed down and looked it up!

*laughs at self*

Originally I thought "-kun" was just a level higher than "-san"

Actually: "-kun" is typically reserved for boys, _but_ I found it can also be used for girls in some cases. So I'll just leave most of it. Only Sasori will call her Hinata-kun. (isn't he special)

Also "-chan" is used for girls, children, close friends, and lovers. In Hinata's case she is a very close friend of Gaara so she's just being cutesy calling him "Gaara-chan" as is Gaara by calling her "Hina-chan"

Tobi also uses the suffix "-chan" and it's due to his childlike personality.

Just to let you know the reasoning behind it.

[wow if that sounded snobby… gomenasai!]

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_**I'll put the next chapter up tomorrow, or tonight depending.**_

_**Arigato for reading!**_


	5. Chapter FoRe

Nyaa~!

So, here's the next chapter like I promised!

WARNING: This chapter contains some of my favorite fluff. (I put my own fave pairing in this chap.)

**Disclaimer**: No, Naruto isn't mine. Regretfully.

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_Hmm?_

A faint drumming filled the Hyuuga's ears as her heart pumped the blood through her frail body with all its might. Gradually she was coming back to her senses. More sounds were picked up, such as voices. They seemed to be hushed and nearby.

Hinata felt her face scrunch up slightly as she stirred, discovering a mild throbbing at the back of her cranium.

Her two colorless eyes were slowly revealed from beneath thick lashes, opening and closing a few times, sensitive to the light that was now visible above her head. As her pale orbs registered their surroundings.

A neutral gray ceiling spread out before her, a ceiling fan with a bulb centered in it, and as she blinked there was also a person there at the edge of her peripherals.

Hinata jolted upright, sending a wave of pain to the back of her head. Wincing she rubbed her scalp.

"Ow," she breathed, peering up at the face before her.

Itachi Uchiha. Patiently waiting for her to awake, he was seated on a single chair. The corners of his mouth turned up in a relieved smile.

"You're finally awake," he remarked, looking pleased by this turn of events.

Suddenly she realize that she'd been sleeping somewhere unfamiliar.

"W-where am I?" she questioned, on edge. She glanced down to find herself tucked into a plain bed with white sheets.

"The infirmary. You passed out," clarified the Uchiha, a strange tone to his voice.

That was news for her, her gaze shot back up. Itachi looked like he was stifling a laugh. Hinata had to ask,

"W-what's so f-funny, Itachi-sempai?"

He shook his head, saying distantly, "If you only knew the trouble you caused. Tobi thought you had _died_."

"What!?" she gasped, forlorn. "W-why? I m-mean, I'm n--"

Itachi quieted her with a wave of his hand, a signal the Hyuuga knew very well after all the tutoring sessions.

"Tobi overreacted," began the Uchiha. "According to the nurse you had a 'thinking fever'." He chuckled a bit, giving Hinata a self-conscious blush. "You fainted and everyone brought you here. They wanted to stay until you woke up, but I made sure they got to their classes."

"Oh, no!" she shrieked, flinging the sheets aside. "C-class! I'm l-late! What d-do I--"

Silenced again, Itachi calmly told her, "Calm down. I informed your teacher and this period only has about eight minutes left. It'll be sixth period soon, and I took the liberty of checking your schedule so, I know you are not up to PE just yet. There's a note here; excusing you from class. Okay?"

Hinata thought over what he'd told her. It sounded logical enough. Resolved, she gave a nod. Sighing as she settled back against the wall. Her head was aching, she guessed that it was from when she fainted.

"Arigato," the Hyuuga whispered, nervously tugging at her hair. The indigo locks had tangled up as she turned in her sleep, Hinata prayed that her bed hair wasn't that horrible. That would only prove to be further humiliating.

Another person entered the room a few minutes later. Hinata caught sight of a gorgeous shade of blue that drew her attention to the door. She was amazed to see that it was someone's hair color. The girl was short, slender, and yet she seemed older and more mature than a student. The lovely colored hair framed the girl's pale features and the rest was neatly tied in a tight bun. A paper flower was clipped into the wisps of azure. The young woman wore a short black skirt with ruffles, a dark blue scoop neck top with half-sleeves, black knee-high socks with blue Xs up the sides, and bold blue converse.

Her voice was soft and musical as she said,

"Hello, my name's Konan," she greeted, a soft translucent smile was on her visage. Hinata thought she looked beautiful as Konan strode toward her. "You must be the famous Hinata-chan everyone's been telling me about." She eyed Itachi for confirmation.

"Oh, I--uh, h-hai," replied Hinata, unable to hold Konan's gaze. "It's n-nice to m-meet you."

Silver-blue eyes trailed over the indigo haired girl, inspecting the prospect for joining their gang. Upon arriving, Konan was bombarded with pleas for Hinata's acceptance. Seeing the shy girl now, there was nothing that Konan could find wrong with her. Aside from her intensely goody-goody aura, that might be an issue. Still she was fine with Hinata-chan joining. Plus another girl would do wonders for her nerves, being in a gang entirely of guys was wearing on her health.

"You went to class, correct?" inquired Itachi, looking accusingly at the blue-haired girl now by his side.

"Yes, I managed," she dully answered, her eyes not leaving the other female. "It was boring."

"Konan, you think everything is boring," drawled Itachi, a short lived sigh following after as he turned back to Hinata. "The bell will ring soon, I suggest you go before everyone shows up."

"Why's th-that?" asked the Hyuuga, perplexed.

Itachi pondered the thought, everyone crowding into the nurses office and all desiring the poor girl's attention. He knew Hinata couldn't handle it.

Finally he settled with a simple smile and a, "Trust me."

The Hyuuga's brows drew together, her expression clearly questioning her sempai's elusive behavior. Though she would obeyed. Hinata shifted in the bed, sliding her legs off the edge. Her toes brushed the cool tile as she did so, before standing up fully.

After getting her flip flops back on, snatching up her backpack, and examining her reflection in the mirror on the opposite wall Hinata felt ready to go.

"I'll walk you to your next class," offered Konan, appearing in the mirror behind the Hyuuga. The blue haired girl wasn't smiling, but Hinata could almost sense that she was being friendly. There was a subtle way that Konan's eyes glinted as she spoke.

"A-arigato," she thanked her, spinning away from the mirror. Itachi handed the Hyuuga a slip of yellow paper she recognized as her note to get out of class.

"I have business with the principal," remarked Itachi, seemingly absentminded. "Take care of her, Konan. Bye, Hinata-san."

The Uchiha waved as they parted ways outside the door.

Hinata was left in Konan's care and they headed silently down the empty corridors. The Hyuuga was too nervous to force any words from her mouth hence she remained mute. The claps of the white flip flops smacking against her heels was the solitary sound between them. Konan was gratefully relaxed by the silence. It was like God --or as Hidan insisted possibly Jashin-sama-- was giving her a break. The first day of anything was always tiresome for her, particularly school.

The bell reached their ears as they headed down a roughly paved sidewalk pathway behind the school's gardening club. It was the quickest way to the gym, rather than go through the mess of hallways in the school.

Half way down the path, feeling semi obligated Konan offered,

"If you have any questions, I could answer them for you."

"Oh?" the Hyuuga squeaked, she hadn't thought of anything that required answering. Except. . . " W-well, um, wh-what is 'A-Akatsuki'?"

Konan shot her the strangest look.

_It must have been a dumb question_, Hinata reasoned, feeling more insecure than she had been a second ago.

"Akatsuki is like our gang," explained the blue-haired girl, her gaze focused ahead. "You see, a lot of us have_ problems_. . .therefore it's easier to get along with each other rather than everyone else. Akatsuki is our family." Her tone was unusually bright as she said this, a smile itching to emerge, but it remained dormant. "You should be happy. The others want you to join our family."

"R-really?" breathed Hinata, her hand flying to her mouth.

It all sounded so exciting. Family. Her own family wasn't horrible, though they weren't the most understanding either. It would be nice to have a family of friends. Plus, a hell of a lot of things suddenly made sense to her about the table discussion at lunch. At lunch everyone was talking about her joining and then. . .

Hinata's signature blush crept to her skin as she recalled the reason why she passed out. Zetsu had called her _'hot'_! Oh, lord. How was she supposed to face him after that!?

Wrapped up in her thoughts, the indigo-haired girl didn't even realize she walked into a chain link fence. It wasn't like she bumped it with her shoulder, no, it was a head-on collision. Her forehead hit metal and the rest of her came soon after, knocking her off her feet and onto her bottom.

"Ow," she whined, rubbing her forehead.

How could things be going so well and so horribly wrong at the same time? Making friends, passing out, joining a family gang, running into a fence. . . She unconsciously sighed aloud, hoping nothing else happened that day.

"Daijoubu?" asked Konan, unfazed by the girl's blunder. Her head inclined to her right, the blue haired woman peered down at the Hyuuga.

Hinata nodded, humiliated by her own idiocy. Before she managed to get on her feet someone was calling her name. As she searched for the addressing her, without even bother to stand first, Hinata found her cousin headed her way.

Neji had broken from his group of friends and raced to her side. His hair was disheveled, loose strands falling from his ponytail and a light pink color was brushed over his features. The Hyuuga boy was returning from a horrible PE lesson with the second year sensei, Gai. It was going to be a long year.

"Hinata-chan, what happened?" he asked calmly, extending his hand. As he pulled her upright Hinata desperately stammered,

"I-I, um, well. . .th-there was. . .a-and then. . .fence."

The girl's cousin took her mumbles in stride, comprehending exactly what Hinata had said. Not everyone had the gift to do that, even the girl's own father was bewildered at times. Sometimes, Neji feared his cousin was hopeless.

Though, after seeing her earlier, he was fully surprised at her choice of apparel. He'd never known Hinata to dress so boldly, yet she stood before him in a miniskirt. What possessed her to begin clothing in this slutty style, the Hyuuga boy must have over looked during their years living together.

"You need to be more careful," ordered Neji, flicking a stray leaf from her shoulder and tending to a stray hair clinging to her glossed lower lip. Once he deemed her appearance suitable, he nodded.

"A-arigato, Neji-niisan," she muttered, looking wholeheartedly humiliated. It wasn't that often that she walked into fences in front of her older cousin after all. Her fingers tugged at the fabric of her skirt, noticing that it had rise with her fall.

"After_ lunch_ I presumed you'd be taking better care of yourself," muttered Neji, looking frustrated with her outright clumsiness and carefree personality. Especially since he'd seen her _unconscious_ in another guy's arms.

"Wh-what?" she asked, not hearing his words.

Neji dismissed her question, curiously staring passed Hinata. Spotting his cousin's escort he questioned,

"Konan-san?"

He hadn't expected to see the blue haired girl with his cousin of all people.

"Hello, Hyuuga-san," she returned, her tone almost bright. "I was showing Hinata-chan to her next class."

Neji had not missed the informal way she had addressed Hinata, something was up. He couldn't do a thing about it though, seeing as Lee impatiently hollered,

"Neji, we're going to be late for class! We're wasting our precious youth over here!"

The Hyuuga knew without sparing a glance back, what his friends were doing. TenTen was standing in a huff with her arms crossed over her chest and Lee was stamping his foot while waving his arms manically to get his attention. Typical.

"See you, Hinata-chan, Konan-san." Then he briskly turned to catch up with his crowd.

Hinata could see that he was being scolded by the two as they headed down the other pathway. She had always questioned how her stuck up, prissy cousin had become friends with a sweet guy like Lee and a strong willed girl like TenTen.

Konan brought the Hyuuga in resumed silence, waving her off before departing herself.

Hinata made her way into the gym, finding Asuma-sensei smoking a cigarette out the backdoor.

"S-sensei!" she reprimanded. Asuma was taken off guard, not expecting students so soon. Hinata looked appalled as she stammered out in a harsh tone, "Th-that's against th-the rules!"

Asuma smiled sheepishly, dropping the deathstick onto the ground and crushing the flame of life from it.

"Gomen," he said, holding his hands up in surrender. Hinata's glower resided, he was a teacher and deserved some respect. "And you would be...?"

"Hinata H-Hyuuga."

"Right," he said, dully noting who to look out for during his smoking breaks. "You should be dressing down for class."

"I, um, I'm n-not t-today," she replied, passing him the note. She hadn't even looked at it so she was staring in wonder as Asuma's expressions twisted as his eyes skimmed over the words.

"I see," he said, glancing around uncomfortably. "Well, you can just sit on the bleachers today."

"H-hai," she quietly agreed, heading to the rows of benches escalating upwards. She settled into the fifth row up, left of the middle.

It was a minute or so before more students began entering the gym. They were wearing the school colors: green and white. Forest green basketball shorts and white T-shirts with the Leaf emblem on the chest. Rather than stare, Hinata began mindlessly digging through her bag. She wasn't looking for anything, but she hoped people thought she was.

"Hinata-san!"

The Hyuuga raised her gaze, finding the dark eyes of an Uchiha. Sasuke raced over to her, not dressed down as the others were. He climbed the bleachers purposefully and in long strides, reaching her side in moments. There was an unusual emotion playing on his face that Hinata could not read, it wasn't unpleasant at least.

When Hinata said nothing, Sasuke noted with some relief,

"You look alright. I was worried." He watched her brow furrow, not understanding the need for concern. "After you fainted and all."

Her mouth formed an, "Oh." Then she slowly her features pulled downwards, contracting into a perplexed frown. "H-how did you know th-that?"

The Uchiha paused, looking a bit distracted by a thought.

"Well, uh, I came into the caf' and those guys were carrying you. That one. . .uh, Tobi? Said something about you dying." Hinata sighed, _poor Tobi_. "Well, anyway, Itachi-niisan sorta' explained. Then Kiba and I ended up helping get you to the nurses office. Neji too."

"E-even Neji-niisan?" the Hyuuga breathed, paling at the thought. Everyone had seen her unconscious, great. That was like social suicide, wasn't it? So much for a new year. . .

"So, are you sitting out?" asked the boy, obsidian eyes questioning her.

Hinata nodded, complacent while she was wrenching away from pessimistic thoughts.

"Mind if I sit with you?" he pressed, motioning to the bench space beside the Hyuuga.

The Hyuuga's slouch vanished, back shooting straight up, jolted by this sudden occurrence. Sasuke Uchiha, the most popular freshman alive, actually _wanted_ to sit with her, _again_.

"I-if y-you want!" the tomato red girl shrieked, flattered and mystified. She moved her book bag from her left side and dropped it upon the next row.

Amused, Sasuke smirked at the crumbling Hyuuga. The Uchiha seated his butt on the bench, a good half foot from the blushing girl. Leaning back against the row behind him, Sasuke continued to marvel at how red Hinata was getting. She fell to pieces so easily. It was comically entertaining. He recalled why everyone teased her immensely. The little Hyuuga was defenseless against mockery or unkind words.

It was effortless to make her shatter. To make her embarrassed. To make her afraid. To make her _cry_.

An unintentional scowl formed on his face. Kids were cruel. Himself included.

"Um," squeaked Hinata, catching Sasuke's inky black eyes with her colorless ones. She had a question plain on her face and Sasuke rose his brows inquiringly.

"M-may I a-ask why y-you're s-sitting out?"

Sasuke breathed an, "Oh." His hand involuntarily inched to his knee, finger tips digging into the fabric of his jeans. "I screwed up my knee over the summer. It's not fully healed yet. I just got out of my cast last Wednesday."

Hinata looked worried, hurriedly questioning, "Wh-what happened?"

He paused. A sheepish grin flashed over the Uchiha's visage, answering, "I fell off a roof."

The milky eyes before him widened in horror. She was speechless.

Sasuke chuckled, launching into his tale of unknown-clumsiness. He swore if it was _anyone_ else, he'd never tell. It was a kind of idiocy he liked avoiding, but Hinata wasn't the type to judge people or put them down. She was safe to confide in. Besides it would be a long period if they didn't talk about _something_.

The Hyuuga could not believe her ears were functioning properly as she listened attentively. The story occupied the two for quite a while and when he finished, Sasuke was sure to make her swear to secrecy. The innocent girl agreed, giggling slightly. It had been quite a story. One that would be kept under wraps.

It would be their little secret.

No one aside from Hinata and Itachi would know the real incident. The incident where _the _Sasuke Uchiha fell off his roof because he'd accidentally lit his pants on fire playing with matches. Why he'd had said matches was not given and Hinata was too naïve to ask. The Hyuuga was far more interested in the fact Sasuke had chosen to tell her about it to begin with. That meant there was some trust between them, no matter how small. That blossomed an appreciative smile from the indigo-haired girl.

The last bell of the day sounded. Dismissing all the students from their classes.

The two made there way from the bleachers, reaching the basketball court floor to have a brunette approached them from the retreating crowd.

"'Sup guys?" greeted a slightly panting Inuzuka, clad in the PE uniform. A wry grin was stretching his mouth in opposing directions.

"H-hey," returned Hinata, smiling kindly. "I d-didn't know y-you were in this cl-class."

"Yep," he said, still smiling. "Glad you're doing better, Hinata-chan." She blushed at his consideration.

"A-arigato, I sh-should be on m-my way n-now," the pink tinted girl announced. "I h-have to g-go to th-the middle sc-school to p-pick up Hanabi-ch-chan."

"Alright, see you tomorrow," cheerfully said Kiba, a tiny glint of disappointment in his eyes. "I gotta go change." He waved at Sasuke and Hinata, turning for the guys' locker room.

"S-so, I-I guess--"

"I'll walk you back to the school building," cut off the Uchiha, he wasn't looking at her and his expression was blank. His hands stuffed calmly into his pockets, looking reasonably cool. Pushing open the door to reveal their exit, the gaze of charcoal orbs linked with questioning alabaster pools.

The two didn't chance another word. Hinata passed under the doorway into the sparkling light of the sun, her hair trailing behind her as a gentle gust blew at her straight on.

Sasuke smiled as his nose picked up the scent of vanilla.

They walked back to the main building, in a peaceful silence. Both harboring mirrored smiles. They didn't look at each other because they didn't have to.

After knowing each other almost all their lives, this day made them it feel as if they were meeting for the first time.

High school really changes everything.

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Arigato for reading!

I've been itching to write something SasuHina, so it helped this chapter flow. I tried to keep it to a minimum in case you don't like them together. BUT if you like this pairing tell me, I'll gladly write more.

Pein is entering in the next chapter. (I wanted to hold back on his character entrance)

**REVIEW** --so you can express your views and tell me what you all want to see in future chapters. Like for the couples situation. Do you think in later chapters I should hold a poll? Like everyone votes for their favorites?

[Since I actually like this story it'll go on for a while.]

TTFN.


	6. Chapter Phive

**This is my latest update yet! I moved last week and haven't had internet until today. **

**BUT I have the next two chapters already written (there's some things I still have to fix though) and I'll put them up in the following nights. **

**Here's chapter 5!**

**_Disclaimer_: Naruto not mine.**

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Sasuke dropped Hinata off at the side door of the main building, leading into the basement floor. After their parting Hinata wandered up the staircases to her locker. Dropping off her books, she organized them neatly by period among the folders and binders. Since she lacked any homework from her first day, she had no need of them on her person. Her bag felt lovely, freed of the weight. Soundlessly closing the metal door of her cubbyhole, she turned and left.

She was half hoping to see Hidan at his locker, but he was not around. She merrily skipped down to the first floor, receiving lustful stares from the male population. As she had been getting all day and just like before, Hinata was ignorant of her spectators.

The Hyuuga decided that the retrieval of her little sister was priority. Her father entrusted this task to the indigo-haired girl and she was not going to screw it up. That made her sigh doubtfully. Hinata managed to make a mess of everything in her family life. Hanabi was almost forced into picking _her _up. Hiashi's eldest daughter wondered if her father was that worried about her getting lost or kidnapped. The kidnapped part wasn't that outrageous though, oddly it happened to her on more than one occasion.

Entangled in a web of self-pity, the pouting girl wound up staring at her feet as she walked. A horrible trait. Considering that if she walked while looking downwards she could not see any walls or people in front of herself. Realizing this she hurriedly check for any objects in her path and that was when two arms wrapped around the girl's midsection.

"Hinata-chan!" came a gleeful voice, from behind, that she knew belonged to an energetic dark-haired freshman.

Tobi's entire body was pressed to her backside, a wave of self-consciousness came over the Hyuuga girl. Her face flushed red and her knees gave out on her. She went limp in the boy's arms, struggling to hold onto her awareness and not pass out.

"Tobi-k-kun!" she protested, struggling away from him. Trying to be compliant, and consider Hinata's feelings as Itachi had commanded, Tobi released her and Hinata almost fell to the ground. She caught herself the last minute by grabbing onto the boy's arm. At least she could breathe as she took a wary step away from her friend.

"Gomen, Hinata-chan!" apologized Tobi, his voice very serious, appearing to be ashamed of himself. "Tobi doesn't mean to make you mad! Tobi is a good boy, really! Tobi just gets excited when he sees Hinata-chan! Tobi promises to restrain himself!" He made a motion of crossing his arms tight across his chest.

Hinata was struck with a pang of guilt. Tobi was obviously hurt by her inability to hug him without getting too embarrassed and fainting. She took it upon herself to ask for his forgiveness.

"It's n-not y-your fault it's m-mine!" she stammered, a hand pressed to her chest to show how deeply she was sorry. "I-I sh-should be th-the one apol-l-logizing! I'm t-too w-weak r-right now. . . I pr-promise, one d-day I'll b-be able to h-hug you!"

The dark-haired boy was surprised by her strong reaction and it made his heart soar. Her confession showed that she cared, that was enough. Grinning happily, he confessed,

"That's okay! Hinata-chan is so sweet! When Hinata-chan is able to hug Tobi, Tobi wants fall in love with Hinata-chan!"

The Hyuuga girl blushed crimson, unable to hold back a smile. Tobi definitely knew how to make the blood rush to her head. He was too innocent for his own good.

"A-arigato, Tobi-ch-chan," she quietly thanked, her heart was pounding in her chest as he beamed in her direction. Tobi was so cute and sweet and caring. There weren't any other guys like Tobi out there, he was one of a kind.

"Hinata-chan called Tobi Tobi-chan!" the grinning boy hollered triumphantly. "Tobi and Hinata-chan are best friends!"

Hinata giggled at his outburst. She'd like having Tobi as a best friend, he would make things fun. The Hyuuga girl then remembered that she was supposed to be on her way to the middle school already.

"Oh, no! I h-have t-to g-get going!" she told Tobi, already becoming frantic. If her father knew she was late, there would be hell to pay.

The boy's face fell as he inquired,

"Where's Hinata-chan going?"

"T-to the m-middle s-school to p-pick up m-my sister," she replied hastily. Tobi's face rose just as quickly as it had fallen when he exclaimed,

"Tobi's going there too!"

Hinata stared at him quizzically. What were the odds?

As the two walked, Tobi convinced Hinata to let him hold her hand. It was a battle for the bright red girl. Tobi didn't understand that she was completely unused to so much physical contact. Actually, she'd never held a boy's hand before. That realization further stoked the growing flames under her skin that made her blush. Tobi, on the other hand, was humming a cheery tune and swinging his arms along with Hinata's. The boy was fully enjoying his stroll.

When Hinata asked him why he had to go to the middle school he replied,

"Tobi's brother goes there! He doesn't let Tobi walk alone though. Tobi was supposed to wait at the school, but since Hinata-chan is with him, Tobi can surprise his brother!" He seemed to be very excited about that last part.

The Hyuuga had noticed that he mentioned staying at the school. Did that mean his parents really were going to have is little brother pick him up!? How childish was Tobi!?

Hinata instantly felt like a kidnapper. She felt as if she was the bad guy, dragging this poor innocent child along with her. What had she done? Tobi's little brother was probably going to scold her.

_Maybe it's not too late to bring him back to the high school . . . ? _she wondered, about to turn around and insist that he go back.

Then Tobi suddenly took off in a run, bringing Hinata with him.

"Come on, Hinata-chan!" he shouted gleefully, his arms out like an airplane. The Hyuuga girl couldn't do anything aside from hurry to keep up with him.

The two were winded and breathless when they arrived at the middle school. The last bell was audible from the sidewalk on the other side of the street. They headed towards the school entrance, where kids were already leaving the main building.

"That was fun!" declared Tobi, beaming as he pulled Hinata across the black pavement. Avoiding a speeding car, they reached the other side and stepped onto another sidewalk. Hinata scanned the growing crowds for Hanabi.

"T-Tobi-chan do y-you see your brother a-anywhere?" asked Hinata, nervously scrutinizing his odd expression.

"Ya!" he suddenly burst out, excitedly. "Obito, over here!" He was waving manically toward the front door.

Hinata easily picked out which boy Tobi had been calling out to. The child was around Hanabi's age, a pair of orange goggles strapped to his forehead. He had the same dark hair as Tobi and the boy looked like Tobi's miniature. But the simplest way she spotted him was from the shocked look that washed over his face when he spotted his aniki.

Obito marched straight up to his big brother and said sternly,

"Niisan! You were supposed to wait at the high school! What if you got lost!? Or worse, hit by a car!"

"Yay, Obito cares about Tobi!" cried Tobi happily as he embraced the frowning little boy.

Hinata was amazed by how different the two were. Tobi was hyper and carefree while Obito appeared to be stern and down-to-earth. As Tobi swayed his little brother back in forth in his tight grip, the younger boy looked miserable. Then the older of the two said,

"But Tobi wouldn't get lost because Hinata-chan was with him!" Then he pointed the to blushing girl and Obito stared at her.

"Thanks for looking out for him," he mumbled, shoving his brother off him. "I swear he's clueless. I don't know how we're related."

"Tobi knows! Oji-san said that Tobi's dad and mom--"

Horror-struck, Obito hurriedly slapped a hand over his brother's mouth before the older sibling explained the birds and the bees to the unsuspecting Hyuuga.

"That's _not_ what I meant, Niisan," he told his brother exhaustedly. Then he turned back to Hinata. "I'm Obito Uchiha, Tobi's little brother. Nice to meet you."

_Uchiha? _she mentally questioned.

"Oh, uh, n-nice t-to m-meet y-you too," replied Hinata, bowing her head to the little boy. For some reason she felt inclined to do so. Obito acted much older than he looked. "I'm H-Hinata H-Hyuuga. I g-go to y-your n-niisan's sc-school."

Obito looked between Tobi and Hinata and then said,

"Hyuuga? Are you related to Hanabi Hyuuga?"

"Oh, um, h-hai. Sh-she's my--"

"Onee-chan!" called another little Hyuuga, hurrying to her big sister. The girl had long brown hair and wore punk-style clothing. She was smiling until she realized there were two others with Hinata. She glared at the younger boy. "What do you want Uchiha?" She crossed her arms over her chest, standing protectively by her sister.

"Nothing from _you_, Hyuuga," spat Obito, acid in his voice. Then he smiled at Hinata. "I was just have a conversation with Hinata-_chan_." He looked smug as Hanabi's jaw dropped, turning desperately to Hinata.

"Onee-chan, how do you know him?" she questioned, anxious. Her eyes pleaded with the older girl to deny her affiliation with the Uchiha boy.

"Um, I w-well, T-Tobi-chan is m-my fr-friend a-and, um. . ."

"She's a friend of my niisan," clarified Obito, helping the distressed girl.

Hanabi's porcelain eyes glided to the older version of her arch enemy. They looked identical. Her eyes stayed locked onto the older of the boys.

Hanabi couldn't believe that the annoying Uchiha boy from her class was making a move on her precious sister. The youngest Hyuuga would never allow it. She despised Obito with a passion since the first day they met. He was arrogant and talked big, but Hanabi was the best in the class while Obito was the worst. They couldn't stand each other since they shared a class in the third grade. A rivalry began and they'd been in the same class ever since.

"Does Hinata-chan and her pretty sister want to walk home with Tobi and Obito?" asked the taller boy in his signature third person.

Hanabi blushed at being called 'pretty'. She already liked this older version of Obito, Tobi was much nicer.

"Niisan!" hissed Obito, glowering at Hanabi.

Empowered by Obito's obvious objection, Hanabi firmly accepted the offer. Tobi was ecstatic and Hinata didn't mind. The four of them set out towards home, which was coincidentally in the same direction. Tobi was holding Hinata's hand again, Hanabi possessively took her elder sister's free hand in hers. She didn't like that he was cozying up to _her_ onee-chan, no matter how sweet the boy was. Obito trailed behind the threesome, hands stuffed in his pockets. Of the entire group he was the most mature and felt the desire to look out for them, stuck up little Hanabi included.

The younger Uchiha's eyes widened with fear as he saw his older brother obliviously walk out into the street as a car came barreling down the road at full speed.

"Niisan!" he shouted, reaching out to pull him back onto the sidewalk. Hinata and Hanabi were yanked backwards along with him, thank goodness.

Hinata was terrified when the car went flying by honking it's horn at the foolish kids.

"W-w-we c-c-could h-h-ha-have b-b-been k-k-ki-killed!" she shrieked, her eyes were as open as humanly possible as she turned to an equally frightened Hanabi.

"I-it's okay, Onee-chan," assured her little sister shakily.

The rest of the trip home went without another incident, they were all far more cautious walking despite the fact. They all silently vowed to look both ways before crossing the street.

The Hyuuga household was closer to the school so they reached their home first, Hinata repeatedly thanked Obito for saving their lives. And in a brief moment of silence, the air was filled with the ringtone: _When I Grow Up _by The Pussy Cat Dolls.

•_When I grow up, _

_I wanna be famous _

_I wanna be star_

_I wanna be in movies!_

_When grow up,_

_I wanna see the world _

_drive nice cars _

_I wanna have boobies!• _

That was a little weird, what was weirder was Tobi pulled out his cellphone and answered,

"Hi, Oji-san! Tobi was a good boy today!"

Obito looked expectantly as his older brother conversed over the phone.

"Tobi is at Hinata-chan's house! . . . Oops. . . Tobi's sorry. . . She's Tobi's new friend. . . Okay!" He held out the phone to Obito, who took it with a huff and answered,

"Yeah? . . . Mm-hmm, he showed up with the girl. . . No, she seems okay. . . We waked her and her sister home. . . Yeah, we're already there. . . Uh. . ." Obito suddenly glanced around, pausing when he found the street sign. "Tsubaki Street. . . You don't-- Oh. Okay. See you." He passed the phone back to Tobi and informed him that their uncle was on his way to pick them up.

"W-we'll wait outside w-with you," offered the indigo-haired girl. She would feel rude leaving them on the curb to wait.

"Okay!" agreed Tobi, grinning happily.

The brunette Hyuuga stayed to protect her sister from the Uchiha brothers. She was also curious as to what Obito's family was like. Hanabi remained silent as her older sister giggled and chatted with the two boys until a dark blue sports car tuned down their street driving over 60 miles per hour in a neighborhood that had signs posted everywhere reading '15mph, Children at play'.

"Oji-san!" exclaimed Tobi excitedly, waving his arm to flag down the racing car.

The car swerved to their side of the road, screeching to a stop by the curb where they were standing. In the driver's seat was a young man with a pair of black sunglasses shading his eyes. His hair was black, long, and shaggy in the back. He was dressed in a pristine black suit with a dark blue tie sloppily knotted at the front of his neck. He turned his head in the children's direction, a hand pushing his sunglasses from his eyes and into the back mess of his hair. His eyes were obsidian, the same as every other Uchiha Hinata had ever met. A wolf-like grin stretched over the man's features, eyeing Hinata deviously.

The girl in question was clueless to this, but her younger sister was fully aware that this stranger was looking at her onee-chan with the eyes of a predator.

"Hey, kids," the man greeted them.

"Hello, Madara-oji," replied Obito, opening the back door, pausing to introduce the two girls. "This is Hinata and Hanabi Hyuuga."

"Nice to meet you ladies," Madara told them, receiving a glare from the smaller Hyuuga and a shy smile from the older. "Thanks for looking after my two nephews. They tend to get into trouble, especially Tobi."

"Tobi is a good boy!" protested the highschooler, invoking a throaty laugh from his uncle. Then the boy turned to the Hyuuga sisters. "Tobi will see Hinata-chan tomorrow at school! And maybe Hanabi-chan too?"

Hanabi blushed, inwardly hoping that she would see him again.

"B-bye, Tobi-chan, um, O-Obito-chan," said Hinata, smiling at the two.

Obito hurried into the backseat of the car, saying "Later." The younger boy was hoping to hide his blush by gaining some distance. Tobi followed behind his little brother.

"Tobi is a good boy and will put his seat belt on. Bye-bye!" he called and then the car jolted to life, zooming down the street and around the corner in a blur.

"Onee-chan?" calmly asked Hanabi, still staring after the car after it had vanished from sight.

"H-hai?"

"Take care of yourself. I worry about you sometimes."

"Hai," promised Hinata, grinning at her sister.

The two headed into the house and Hinata continued to smile uncontrollably. After all, she'd survived her first day of high school, gained a group of new friends, and knew that her sister cared about her. She was so blessed and in one day, her life was looking up.

xXxXxXx

_**A/N: **_

Thanx for readin', su!

--Don't you think Tobi would be dead in real life going around with his head in the clouds? He needs a protective little brother to look out for him, that's where Obito comes in. I really hated how Obito died in Kakashi's Gaiden. So, I decided to bring him back to life! In child form because he was soo cute! :D

Also I decided Madara should have a part in his life, considering they were one in the same. So, he gets to be the young rich uncle who takes care of them. [Tobi has no parents.]

And I'm introducing **Pein** in the next chapter! (I swear this time)

To everyone and AKAHINA97 --I'm not putting PeinKonan in this. I don't like them together (sorry all PeinKonan fans!) There will be PeinHina in later chapters ;)

Also I'm glad so many people liked having SasuHina! I will definitely write more and lots of AkaHina :)

**Please review and tell me what you thought 3**


	7. Chapter sIx

Kay, I think I worked out how I wanted the chapter to go. I rewrote the end like a bazillion times though. It's a rough outline, but you'll have to deal with it. [sorry!]

**Disclaimer**: No, Naruto is not, has not, and will not ever be mine.

xXxXxXx

* * *

A beeping alarm clock ripped a dreaming Hyuuga from her sleep. After silencing the electrical nuisance, she settled back into her comfy bed. After a moment of realization, she jolted upright, flinging the comforters off her pajama covered body. She threw her legs over the bedside and made a mad dash into the confines of her bathroom. She peered into the mirror. Her reflection shining back in a very lackluster manner. Bed hair, no make up, chapped lips, and her white tank top was visible in the smooth reflective surface.

What she searched for was a _sign_. A sign that yesterday had indeed happened. Finding said sign on her wrist.

A thick black band was encircling her wrist. Hinata had been sure to give herself valid proof that her first day of high school was not a complete washout. The hair tie proved it.

It was Tuesday. She had actually survived her first day of high school and it was remarkably _fun_.

Porcelain eyes watched as her dry, pale lips upturned into a grin. Applying some much-needed chapstick, the optimistic girl hopped into the shower.

She had school to get to after all.

An hour later she arrived at the school entrance. Her outfit of the day consisted of: a thin tight fitting pink T-shirt, darkwash jean short shorts exhibiting pink butterflies woven into the butt pockets, and her favorite pair of pink converse to match. The hair tie from her wrist was holding her indigo hair in a high ponytail partnered with cute tiny fuzzy pink pompoms.

Being the second time on campus, Hinata could only feel a third of the nerves she'd harbored the previous day. They still gnawed at her confidence nevertheless. A deep breath and she headed into the masses.

Reaching the front door, the pale eyed girl heard as someone shouted her name.

"Hinata-chan!"

The Hyuuga whirled around to find a grinning Kisame heading in her direction. A return smile found its way onto her lips without even thinking. He was swiftly at her side, entering the building with her as they exchanged greetings.

"So, how're you liking high school?" he asked, casually trying to find common grounds to converse over.

Hinata replied in all honesty, "It s-seems f-fun. I'm ex-c-cited. Wh-what about y-you?" She turned to him, smiling happily as they wandered down the halls.

The blue skinned boy shrugged, a sigh escaping his mouth. He frowned while admitting, "I never liked school. Rules. Homework. Class work. Teachers. Students. Pencils. Paper. All of it is just annoying. I'd rather be off screwing around, you know?"

When he saw how baffled she'd been by his statement he recognized; she clearly did not know.

Before he could explain what he was getting at, another joined the pair on the second floor.

"'Sup, Kisa-chan, Hina-chan," said Deidara, a cocky grin plastered on his face. One that was oddly out of place considering that it was nearly eight in the morning. Deidara was not a morning person and he was unusually. . .chipper.

Kisame eyed him suspiciously, while Hinata thought nothing of it.

Slightly red from her reference as 'Hina-chan' she answered with a warm, "Ohaiyo."

Deidara laughed for seemingly no reason whatsoever. Kisame's jaw dropped as he witnessed Deidara giggling like a little girl.

"Deidara, you're doing it again," came a stern voice from an irritated redhead. Sasori approached his best friend with a scowl. His eyes were bloodshot and Hinata proceeded to ask,

"Sasori-kun d-did y-you get any s-sleep last n-night? Y-your eyes a-are s-so red!"

The redhead looked sheepishly in a different direction, avoiding her worried gaze. While Deidara burst out laughing. He suddenly lunged forward, embracing the sweet indigo-haired girl.

"You're so innocent, Hina-chan!" he cooed, stroking her ponytail.

Stunned, Hinata stammered, "D-Deidara-kun!"

Exasperated already, Kisame yanked on Deidara's arm forcefully removing the giggling blonde from her. He stumbled backwards into the lockers with an audible bang and he let out a howl of laughter.

"You _idiot_!" hissed Sasori, glaring fiercely at Deidara. The blonde didn't seem to care, instead he defiantly questioned,

"What's you're problem, yeah?" His face soured under Sasori's intense glower. Then the redhead seemed to mellow as he stated blankly,

"You."

"WHAT!?" the accused blonde exclaimed, looking outraged.

A look of horror crossed both Sasori and Kisame's faces. If Deidara continued to yell, he would most certainly draw unwanted attention. That could not happen under their current _circumstance_.

"Deidara, calm down!" chided the shark like boy. "It's fine, just come with me." Deidara agreed after a small fuss. Before leaving, Kisame said to Sasori, "I'll cool him down. You stay with Hinata-chan."

"I'm not a child," protested Sasori, though he would oblige.

The two advanced down the hall, passing out of sight. The redhead let out a relieved sigh, turning to the dumbstruck Hyuuga. She was utterly distressed and confused. Akasuna no Sasori silently wondered if he should explain. Deciding against it, he said,

"Let's go to your locker. You should get your books."

Hinata agreed, head spinning with questions. Questions that would positively not be answered by her bored-looking redheaded friend. He followed her sluggishly up to the second floor. The startled Hyuuga pressed the matter of lacking sleep when Sasori nearly tumbled backwards after misplacing his foot on the next step. The Akasuna assured the bewildered girl he was fine, but she was finding it increasingly difficult to believe him.

After Hinata's quick visit to her locker, she turned to find Sasori. He still hadn't returned from the drinking fountain and that was making her anxious.

A cheery smile was already stationed on her face when she spotted Hidan's silver head come into view as he scaled the steps. He seemed a bit surprised to see her and hesitant.

"Hime!" he acknowledged, doing his utmost to be causal as he advanced towards her.

Hinata stopped at her locker, deciding that she could stick around for another minute or so. It wasn't like the bell had rung yet. And Sasori was capable of tending to himself. There was time.

"Itachi said that you were okay and went to class yesterday," he mentioned, fumbling with the dial-lock. He was having a difficult time unhinging it for some reason.

"Mm-hmm," she hummed in response, cheery as ever. "I-I was f-feeling m-much better."

He nodded; mumbling something like 'that's good'. He seemed to be avoiding her alabaster gaze, focusing solely on his lock. When it clicked open he still averted his line of sight. The Hyuuga was puzzled by this peculiar actions.

Sure, she'd only known him since yesterday, but this was not Hidan behavior. He was almost nervous.

"I-is something wr-wrong?" Hinata asked him, concerned. The worried girl took a step closer to him. Gazing ever so curiously.

The junior peered up, violet meeting white.

An involuntary blush emerged over his features, his eyes ripped away from her.

Now, Hinata was truly alarmed. Uncertain of the cause, the Hyuuga could at least discern something was wrong. Hidan was not alright.

"H-Hidan-kun!" she gasped, seeming to grasp the problem. Her hand flew to his forehead. "A-are you s-sick?"

His temperature soared beneath her gentle touch.

"Yes, he is," came Sasori's jaded voice, reappearing from out of no where. The indigo-haired girl turned to the redhead, hopeful for some answers. She found Sasori had a disgusted scowl as he added, "Sick in the head."

"Fuck off!" snapped Hidan, looking flustered as he pushed Hinata's hand away. He snarled at the laid back sophomore before him. The Hyuuga girl became greatly tense, Hidan's temper was flaring up, and Sasori was actually _smirking_ at his older friend.

"I'm only telling the truth," muttered Sasori audaciously. The corners of his mouth twitched up ever so slightly. The redhead was obviously baiting his upperclassman at this point, Hidan fell for it too.

The silver-haired man swung his fist at Sasori's pretty red head. Hidan, being the stronger of the two, felt confident he could take his friend. Sasori, being the more clever, was equally confident in his abilities. To prove his point, the redhead dodged easily. Ducking his head before the larger male could make contact with his skull. Sneering, Sasori goaded his opponent further,

"You really are a pervert, Hidan."

That proved to infuriate the silver-haired fighter more. He swung his arm again. This blow connected, knuckles driving into the soft flesh of the Akasuna's stomach. Brutally, Sasori's body crashed into the lockers on the other side of the hall.

Hinata let out a frightened scream as Hidan charged at the redhead.

Next, Sasori made his own move; a sharp kick to the religious man's side. Hidan staggered sideways under his opponent's force, surprised to be struck once again. This time, Sasori's balled hand collided with a perfectly crafted jaw.

Kakashi-sensei appeared on the scene, summoned by a frightened senior girl. He assessed the situation and leaned back against the walls of metal containers. They could sort it out themselves. There was no way he was getting in the middle of an Akatsuki feud. Especially when they were beating the crap out of _each other_.

When Mitarashi-sensei was brought forth from her classroom, she reprimanded Kakashi and the two boys fighting.

"Kakashi-san, hurry up and do something!" she demanded angrily.

Seeing no help from her impassive colleague, the purple-haired history teacher took it upon herself to stop the brawl.

"You maggots better cut it out right now!" she furiously yelled, taking Hidan by the ear and slamming Sasori's back into the lockers by a swift shove to his chest.

Anko effectively ceased the fight and she rather enjoyed pushing the Akasuna kid into the row of lockers, he always was an annoying brat. She suddenly regretted not being the disciplinary officer. The thought alone aroused her malicious grin.

"Fucking bitch," cursed Hidan, struggling to ripped her arm away from his aching ear.

Sasori made no attempts to move, only glowering at his sensei.

Anko was thoroughly stunned when a young girl raced to the two boy's that she had pinned, anxiously calling out,

"H-Hidan-kun! S-Sasori-kun! A-are y-you o-okay?"

Anko looked at the shy girl in front of her and recognized her immediately from her fourth period. The Hyuuga girl who'd captured the attention of the Inuzuka boy and the young Uchiha.

"I'm fine," the redhead dully replied.

Hidan was not so fine and he expressed it, "Fucking let go of me! You goddamn cocksucking b--"

"Hidan-k-kun!" Hinata cried out desperately. She had to save him from himself at the moment. If she'd let him continue speaking he'd only get into more trouble, with that _vocabulary_ of his.

"What did you just call me you shitty little punk!?" screeched the purple-haired woman. The grip on his ear tightened as she jerked on the cartilage, causing Hidan to growl. Seeing that he wasn't going to repeat the insult, Anko further asked, "Why were you two dumbasses fighting anyway?" Her light brown eyes shifted between the two, then to Hinata. "Do you know?"

The Hyuuga shook her head, at a loss for words.

It was Sasori to snidely reply,

"Hidan was thinking perversely of Hinata-kun's pink panties."

Both individuals who'd been named turned a dark shade of crimson, even the female sensei was taken off guard by that one. He'd even taken the time to state the _color_ of the Hyuuga's underwear. Leave it to Sasori to be blunt about things. The Akasuna was truly shameless at times. Noticing that Anko was slightly distracted, gaping wordlessly at the redhead, Hidan pulled from her grasp and slammed Sasori in the gut. Sasori in turn launched himself at his attacker and wrestled him to the floor.

"Hey!" shouted Mitarashi-sensei, enraged by their resumed antics.

"Mother fucker!" cried Hidan as his friend kneed him in the groin.

"S-Sasori-kun! S-Sasori-kun! Hidan-k-kun! S-stop it!" yelped Hinata, standing daringly close to the two tangled boys.

Hidan was taking the upper hand now, positioned on top of the beaten redhead. A barraged of fists were being brought down upon Sasori. Now on the verge of horror and anger, Hinata continued screaming.

"H-Hidan-kun! H-Hidan--oh, GET OFF HIM DAMMIT!"

The desperate Hyuuga girl threw herself on Hidan's back, taking hold of his shirt and right arm. A blow was misfired into Hinata's side and she winced. Then with all her strength, she yanked the silver-haired boy off Sasori. The two tumbled back, falling unceremoniously onto the dirty floor.

"Ow," whined Hinata, bashing the back of her head on the hard surface. Her arm clutched the forming bruise on her ribcage.

In a flash both boys, sporting up-and-coming bruises and one a cut lip, were at her side.

"Hime! Shit, shit, shit! I'm so sorry!" apologized Hidan, clearly alarmed. He took her free arm and helped her into a sitting position.

Sasori was also dangerously upset by her involvement. In his anger he turned on Hidan,

"This is your fault!" He roughly pushed the silver-haired boy's shoulder.

"My fault!? This is _your_ fucking fault!" Hidan's open palms shoved the redhead's chest, knocking him backwards.

Not again.

Hinata was livid. A feeling she hardly ever had the chance to feel. Getting to her feet, she towered over the two who were once again rolling on the floor beating the living hell out of each other. The very sight had her seething.

Sucking in a lung full of air the indigo-haired girl forcefully yelled,

"BOTH OF YOU SHOVE IT!"

They froze, Sasori's fingers pulling on the side of Hidan's mouth and Hidan yanking on Sasori's T-shirt, looking up at her with a newfound horror. Hinata was pissed and she was showing it. A frightening glare was fixed on them from two milky white eyes and the furious girl was shaking with her anger.

The others who gathered to observe the fight were rigid with fear, Anko and Kakashi included. Asuma-sensei, Kiba, Neji, as well as Deidara, Itachi, Kakuzu, and Kisame were among the shocked faces. None of them had EVER seen her so enraged, not even her cousin. The Hyuuga girl hadn't even stuttered.

Panting, red-faced, and infuriated the indigo-haired girl carried on to say, rather commandingly,

"You two will quit this fighting at once! Hidan, you will apologize to Mitarashi-sensei. Sasori you will apologize to Hidan! And you _both_ will apologize to me! Then go straight to your first period classes! Without arguing, understand!?"

They nodded hurriedly, scared for their very lives from the once gentle and kind girl in front of them. They practically sprang to their feet and commenced with their apologies. Feeling quite accomplished, Hinata smiled at her work.

"That was amazing," breathed Asuma, an unlit cigarette dangling from his mouth.

Hinata noted the tiny stick and pulled it from his mouth, dropped it in the trash can, and said, "No smoking on campus, Sensei."

Anko watched, impressed as Hinata rounded the corner and headed on her way. She left the hallway's occupants stunned. They would never make her angry, ever again, that was for sure. The purple-haired sensei felt a feeling of pride knowing that the girl was one of her students. She rather liked the Hyuuga girl.

It wasn't until she was halfway down the next hall, Hinata realized what she'd done. She'd stood up against someone, she'd scolded a teacher, and she hadn't stuttered once. She was finally getting out of her shell. The thought caused her to blush happily and she let out a giggle recalling everyone's faces. She undoubtedly surprised them. Who knew Hinata could be so frightening? She most certainly didn't.

Distracted by her thoughts, the girl crashed into something. Before she could fall flat on her butt, someone caught her shoulders.

Hinata paled when she realized it was a person she'd crashed into. Nose to a tanned and muscled chest, she had to crane her neck to look up at the individual's face. The person surpassed her height by a whole head and then some. It was definitely a guy. Fiery orange hair, spiked scruffily. Two orange colored eyebrows rose at the sight of her, widening the view of his two peculiar eyes. They were shades of orange, inscribed with circles inside other circles. They were almost hypnotizing, the Hyuuga couldn't find the strength to look away.

The orange-haired boy arrogantly smirked at her stunned face.

"I-I'm so, s-so s-s-sorry!" she finally stammered out, in full blush, taking a wary step back.

Great, her stutter was back. She knew it was too good to be true. Although, the boy in front of her was so tall and handsome and intimidating, how could she not react in such a way?

_Wait. . .handsome!? _Hinata caught herself thinking, causing her face to go through three more shades of red. Her porcelain eyes drifted up to meet the boy's mesmerizing gaze and her blush was there to stay like she'd been colored on in permanent marker.

"Pein!" came a familiar voice that caused Hinata to turn and find Konan hurrying over to them. She reached the orange-haired boy and a real smile formed on her face. The blue-haired girl turned to Hinata and introduced the two, "Hinata-chan, this is my best friend, Pein. He's also the leader of our gang."

"H-hello," muttered the Hyuuga, feeling completely embarrassed.

Pein smiled at the timid girl, but Konan spoke before he could.

"I have to hurry to English and ask Sensei to explain one of the assignment questions to me, see you guys around," she told them, heading around the corner.

Hinata was too nervous to look him in the eyes until he spoke, casually saying,

"So, you're the potential new member? I guess I'll be seeing you later then."

"L-later?" asked Hinata, her voice wavered.

Pein chuckled, and it was a dark sound, one that sent a shiver down Hinata's spine. There was something new in his hypnotic eyes that frightened her. They weren't smiling like Konan's, they were suddenly cold as ice. The look behind his outward smile was sinister. It unnerved Hinata and she took an in voluntary step back as he took one forward. Then another three steps and the indigo-haired girl was backed into a wall.

The threatening individual before her pressed a hand to the wall space by her head, leaning in closer to the trembling girl. His other hand reached up, a finger tracing her jaw line before twisting around a lock of her silky hair.

Hinata was frozen with fear and anticipation as Pein's head swooped in closer. His lips grazed her ear lobe, breath hot on her skin. He was silent for a moment, allowing the anxiety to sink into his beautiful prey.

Then in a low, velvet, foreboding voice he whispered,

"For the initiation."

Leaving the indigo-haired Hyuuga terrified and rooted to the spot, Pein laughed with amusement as he backed away from her. Admiring the look of horror on her pale features gave the man great pleasure and he continued laughing as he headed down the hall.

Hinata Hyuuga was going to learn her place. She was going to learn it fast. Pein was the leader of a cut throat gang. Little girls had no place in the Akatsuki. The indigo-haired girl was going to find this out very soon.

As the orange-haired man rounded a corner his eyes met the gaze of another. The two coal spheres fixated on Pein as he approached the owner of that malevolent gaze.

"What do you think?" asked a dark-haired man, leaning casually in the doorway of a classroom. The man had a blue dress shirt on and a white tie with a tiny Uchiha crest at the tip. He grinned a toothy grin at the orange-haired student beside him, waiting for his colleague's assessment.

Pein scowled at his homeroom sensei before replying,

"A nuisances. What good will she be to Akatsuki?"

The older Uchiha laughed at the naïveté's of his young partner. Then with a devious gleam in his eyes he answered seriously,

"Let her join. I have _plans _for the young Hyuuga heiress."

Pein inwardly cringed at the thought of these 'plans' his boss had in store for the poor girl he'd frightened moments prior. Madara was always one to stir up unwanted trouble.

**xXxXxXx .To Be Continued. xXxXxXx  
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Dun, dun, dun! The villain of the story is up to something!

Please don't hurt me, but I really don't like Madara (if you haven't noticed). At first he was just gonna be a perv, but then I was like why not make him an EVIL perv?

Oh, and don't be mad at me for making Pein scare Hinata! --when I reread it I had the thought "Pein is a jerk" but he really isn't!-- There will be PeinHina, just wait a bit. All will be revealed later on…

-------

**Now to address a few individuals:**

**_WHO_** WANTED **HAKU **AND **KIMMIMARO **IN THIS!?

Because I love you for the idea!!! HakuHina and KimmiHina! Ohmigawd! I love crack pairings and the very idea of these made me flip! :D

Himeko63 , Kira Acumichi , Tobi loves Hinata-Hime --There will definitely be some of that mixed in I will make it work. And I liked the whole Haku being Hinata's childhood friend. Is it okay if I steal that idea? ;) And I'll have to think about Kimmimaro fitting into all this…

Also thanks to everyone else who said that they liked it, have stuck with the story, and are silently reading this! You guys are all awesome!

**As always I thank you for reading and ask that you review! **

**--Give me more crack pairings that you love, ask questions, or tell me what you thought of the chapter/story! I always want to know! :)**


	8. Chapter sehvehnn

Chap. No. Seh-veh-nn

-- I'm sorry for the late update! I just moved recently and had so much spare time. Now that school started and I gained a life I have like no time to write! --

**A/N: **They have block schedules. Monday: all classes. Tues&Thurs: evens. Wed&Fri: odds.

**Disclaimer**: Naruto isn't mine ;)

•◘

After her not-so-pleasant encounter with Pein, Hinata made her way slowly to her second period. The older boy's words were haunting the poor freshman with every step. The way he'd said "For the initiation" had really creeped her out. What was an 'initiation' anyway?

Without her noticing her body mechanically carried the Hyuuga girl to her classroom. From there she trudged up the isle to where Gaara was already seated.

"What's wrong?" asked the redhead, a hint of sympathy.

Hinata sighed, taking her seat. For displaying little-to-no emotions, Gaara was extremely perceptible. She quietly asked, "W-well, what's a, um, in-initiation?"

Gaara looked puzzled, then said flatly, "It's when you get admitted to something. Like a club or job or something like that. Why?" He pulled out his notebook, strange doodles covering the front page.

"W-well, I'm b-being initiated in-into a, um, w-well, _club _t-today," she nervously half-lied.

Gaara rolled his eyes. "Hina-chan, you're a horrible liar. Don't even try. You're joining the Akatsuki aren't you?" His gaze was cold as he spoke the gang's name.

Hinata gulped, letting out a squeaky, "Y-yes."

"Alright, class, who knows what acronyms are?" questioned Iruka-sensei loudly, moving to the board at the front of the class.

The room settled into the lesson, until the bell rang.

As, Hinata gathered her notebook and backpack, Gaara resumed their topic,

"Be careful," he warned concerned, "the Akatsuki are dangerous."

The Hyuuga blinked, surprised by that. _Dangerous?_ She could say that the Akatsuki were rough and ill-tempered, but Hinata hadn't thought of them as 'dangerous'. Her thoughts drifted back to the fight earlier and Pein, then her own head contrasted it with thoughts of how nice everyone was to her.

_They couldn't be _that _bad at least_, she thought to herself. _Maybe they're simply misunderstood because they fight a lot?_

After convincing herself of her new friend's innocence, she said,

"I'll b-be okay."

Gaara nodded, excepting that his best friend firmly believed that. If Hinata was going to trust them, the redhead could only hope that the rumors weren't true. If the rumors turned out to be true though, he would _kill_ them. It was that simple.

The Hyuuga smiled meekly in his direction, trying to reassure the both of them.

Gaara smiled back, holding onto the lovely thought of murdering each one of the Akatsuki bastards who were after _his _Hinata. He was not about to tell her that though.

The redhead had to go to a meeting with the guidance counselor about switching out of his woodshop class, so Hinata was left on her own. The indigo-haired girl did the first thing that came to mind, hide in the bathroom.

The girl's bathroom was her sanctum in previous years. Guys can't find you in them and who wants to hang around the bathroom?

Safe inside the pale green tiled walls, Hinata stood in front of the mirror. Adjusting her hair slightly she occupied herself with redoing her lip gloss and straightening out her shorts. Once she was done with that she readjusted her indigo locks once more. The Hyuuga couldn't just stand there idly, there were at least five other girls moving through the small room at a time.

Giving up with that, she washed her hands and exited the room. She paced herself, making her way towards her fourth period class on the ground floor. By the time she arrived the bell rang. That gave her a satisfied smile as she strolled to the back of the class and took her seat.

A few more people arrived, one or two at a time. Sasuke and Kiba arrived to class just as the late bell went off. They hurried over to Hinata and joined her.

"'Sup, Hinata-chan!" greeted Kiba, eagerly leaning on her desk with his elbow. "That was pretty amazing the way you told off those guys that were fighting!"

Modestly, the Hyuuga blushed, replying, "I was j-just trying t-to make them st-stop."

"What happened?" asked Sasuke, interestedly. It wasn't the first he'd heard of it. Everyone was talking about the morning fight. Akatsuki were at it again people were saying, but they also spoke of a purple-haired girl getting in the middle of it.

Kiba relayed the previous events of the morning. He'd arrived at about the second half of the fight and saw Hinata in action. The Inuzuka made her sound like a superhero who'd swooped in and saved the day.

"And then she threw away Asuma-sensei's cigarette!" he howled, the story coming to a close. Hinata giggled, blushing at his tale. Sasuke chuckled, finding it very hard to imagine Hinata doing those things.

"We having fun back there?" came Anko's voice from behind them.

The three chatting students whirled around to the front of the class. Everyone had been listening to Kiba tell the story of the fight including the purple-haired sensei. The group hadn't even noticed.

"Gomenasai," mumbled Kiba, slightly embarrassed.

Bright red, Hinata added her own apology. While Sasuke shrugged, leaning back in his chair.

Anko laughed, humorously, she hadn't minded the recap. It seemed like half the school was buzzing about it. It was remarkable how new traveled so fast in this school. The students were all gossip whores.

The class started up quickly and a half hour flew by. The sensei asked a question on the text they were reading and as Hinata deliberated, her pale orbs wandered about the classroom. When they passed over the doorway, the indigo girl froze.

Out in the hall, Tobi was grinning as he waved at her. She felt a smile creep onto her visage and she gave him a small wave in return. She wondered what he was doing out there.

She gasped when Deidara appeared in view and whacked Tobi on the head. Sasori was next to fall into her line of sight, he glanced into the classroom the Hyuuga found herself seated in. There was a noticeable bruise forming over his right eye, as well as others. Upon spotting her, he motioned with a wave for her to join them in the hall.

Hinata shook her head.

Now Hidan appeared, where were they all coming from!?

"Hime!" he mouthed, waving her outside the door. He also had visible damage from the fight earlier, a good sized blue-yellow splotch on his jaw and a cut on his left cheek.

The good student she was shook her head again.

This irritated the silver-haired junior, pulling out a silver object from his pocket. He disappeared for a brief moment, the others followed. Hinata kept her eyes locked on the doorway, wondering what that was all about.

The P.A. system came to life over head with a static-like screech. A familiar voice said,

"**Will, Hinata Hyuuga come to the main office with her things? I repeated: Hinata Hyuuga to the main office with her things."**

Hinata turned bright red. Why couldn't they just send her a call slip?

"Get going, Hyuuga," dismissed Anko-sensei, getting back to her original question.

Kiba grinned at her as the Hyuuga stood.

"Later," said Sasuke, inwardly jealous that she got to leave class early. History was not going to be his favorite subject, the teacher was a nutcase and the lessons were always boring as hell.

The indigo-haired girl smiled and hurried into the hallway, finding the others still loitering. Hidan looked smug as Kisame came jogging up the hall.

Hinata frowned, she'd been tricked. The voice on the PA system was Kisame's. They'd got her out of class. Hinata was about to turn around and tell her sensei it was a mistake when Tobi took her hand and whispered,

"Whee! Hinata-chan's playing with us today!"

The others quietly ushered the indigo-haired girl down the hall, making sure she stayed silent. If she spoke the plan would be ruined and all of them would be caught ditching class. Outside of the main building, they filed out into the parking lot.

"Wh-what's going o-on?" asked Hinata, nervously glancing around. Students weren't allowed to leave the campus during school hours. In fact students weren't supposed to ditch class at all.

_Am I becoming a delinquent!? _Wondered the Hyuuga, beginning to panic. Her father would surely disapprove of these actions . . .

"Operation Initiation!" shouted Tobi excitedly, still tugging the Hyuuga along behind him.

"Wh-what's that?" squeaked Hinata, turning to Sasori worriedly. He did nothing to console her though.

Grinning, Hidan proudly stated, "Phase one: Kidnap the hime. Complete."

They stopped by a red mustang, opening the back door, Deidara smirked, adding, "Second Phase: escort the captive to our hideout. In progress."

The frightened girl gulped, stepping into the car. Sasori took her backpack and threw it into the trunk. Hinata scooted into the middle seat, seeing as how Tobi was clambering in after her. Kisame came around the other side and said,

"Sorry, 'bout this, but there aren't enough seats, Hinata-chan."

Before she could ask why he'd apologized, Hinata was lifted into the blue-skinned boy's lap. The Hyuuga squealed, uncomfortable with the position. Hiding her face in her hands, the boy's laughed.

"Wanna sit on my lap instead?" asked Deidara from the front seat.

Hinata shook her head, that wouldn't help her at all. It wasn't that it was Kisame's knees she was situated on. It was that it was a _boy'_s knees.

"I-I'm f-f-fine."

Sasori took the seat next to Tobi and Hidan took the driver's seat. The car was put in reverse and they were off.

"Yay! Field trip!" yelled Tobi, clapping his hands together.

Sasori was texting someone on his cell phone and turned to Hinata and asked,

"What's your cell number?"

The indigo-haired girl shook her head. "I-I don't h-have one."

"WHAT!?" shrieked Tobi, startling Hidan enough to make the car swerve into the opposite lane.

A mixture of car horns, Deidara shouting, and Hinata screaming, got Hidan to pull the vehicle back into the proper lane before they died in a head-on collision.

"Fuck, Tobi!" cursed Hidan, heart racing. "Be quiet damn it!"

"You could've killed us!" roared Deidara, furiously twisting around in his seat. "Learn to shut your mouth!"

"Tobi's sorry," the boy whispered, cowering towards Hinata, as the silver-haired boy glowered at him from the rearview mirror.

"I-I-I-It's o-o-okay T-T-Tobi-ch-chan," stuttered Hinata, still rattled from the near death experience.

That was twice in two days she'd almost been killed by a car. . . or maybe indirectly killed by Tobi. Since it was the dark-haired freshman who had instigated the almost-death by car events in both occasions. Either way, she was still alive for the moment.

That's what made the Hyuuga realize that when she'd screamed her hands flew against Kisame's chest to brace herself. Fully conscious of the physical connection again, she blushed furiously. As she tried to move her hand away she found something she hadn't expected.

"Whoa," she silently gasped, turning to Kisame, wide-eyed. The palm of her hand rubbed against his chest through the thin fabric of his shirt again. "Wow, wow, wow!" With two hands she ran her fingers over the man's abdominal. The guy she was sitting on had a defined six pack and rock hard abs. She'd never felt a man's chest before and it was something the proper Hyuuga liked.

Kisame stifled a laugh at her reaction.

Upon hearing it, Hinata pulled her mitts away from him, her shoulders hitting the back of the passenger seat.

"Oh! I-I d-d-didn't m-m-mean t-to it-- it w-was an ac-accident!" she stammered, hurriedly. Hinata couldn't believe what she'd done, since when was she the type to take advantage of a poor guy? She had no perception that Kisame didn't see it that way in the least.

"It's fine," the blue man told her, chuckling. He put his hands up behind his head, leaning against the seat behind him. Kisame was openly proud of the fact he had a nice body. This was the first time it had been appreciated by a female. Most girls are too afraid to talk to the shark like boy, let alone feel him up.

There was an awkward silence on Hinata's part, until Hidan announced that they'd arrived. Her indigo-head turned to peer out the window, finding they were in a neighborhood in the ghetto. The mustang rolled into a nearby driveway. The two story house had a broken window on the second floor and the mint green paintjob was chipping away and turning brown.

The Hyuuga was regaining the horrible bundle of nerves in the pit of her being. The broken-down house was extremely intimidating through her alabaster eyes. As they strode up to the plain wooden door, the others looked very at ease if not excited.

Deidara knocked on the door in a special pattern and the door swung open. Itachi was standing in the hallway, looking bothered by having to be there. The Uchiha motioned the group inside, the others complied, but Hinata was undecided. The indigo-haired girl was wondering if she could turn back and say it was all a mistake.

"It'll be okay Hinata-san," assured Itachi sympathetically. "Everyone here went through the initiation upon joining."

The timid girl bit down on her bottom lip, stepping cautiously inside the house. The floorboards creaked beneath her weight as Itachi escorted her into the would-be-livingroom. The lights were out and the only way she could see anything was from a hole in the wall where it appeared someone had punched straight through it. There were five couches pushed to the edges of the tiny room, creating a sort of circle. The others had already taken their seats.

Everyone sat two per couch. Pein at the back of the room was accompanied by Konan. The next couch over to the right held Sasori and Deidara. Then continuing around the circle sat: Zetsu and Tobi, Kakuzu and Hidan, and Kisame was soon joined by Itachi.

The lone Hyuuga stood outside the circle, hands clasped together in front of her, trembling slightly. She'd never felt more unnerved in her life.

"Hinata Hyuuga, step forward," commanded Pein from the darkest edge of the room. His voice was scarier than before.

Hinata did as she was told, moving into the center of the circle. All eyes were on her quivering figure. The Hyuuga hoped they couldn't see that she was shaking in this dark room.

"Do you wish to join Akatsuki?" questioned Pein solemnly.

Hinata paused. Did she? Did she want to go through all of this just for a title? No, it was much more than that. She wanted the sense of family that Konan spoke of, she wanted friendship with all these wonderful people, and she wanted to be in the Akatsuki.

"H-hai," she answered, nodding her head. Her voice was quaking as much as her body.

Hinata wasn't sure, but it looked like Pein smirked at her before saying,

"Are you willing to prove it?"

There it was. The catch.

Pein was dangling the thing she wanted most in front of the girl and he was going to make the Hyuuga work for it. Sure Madara had already told him to grant her entrance, that didn't mean he had to make it easy.

"H-hai," replied Hinata warily. She was going to take on any challenge Pein threw at her. It was the only way to prove to herself that she wasn't just a shy little girl.

"Good," said Pein, his voice growing darker. "Now, let me explain a few things to you.

"In order to prove yourself you must commit yourself to Akatsuki. My orders, as leader, are absolute and you will follow them. Failure of compliance means betrayal on your part and you will be punished.

"We are like family, yes, but we are also a gang. Each member has a part to play in operations and that includes yourself. Konoha is our town, we are expected to run it from the shadows. We keep the peace and beat down any rival gangs that threaten our order.

"Are you prepared to take on this responsibility?"

Hinata nodded and whispered, "Hai."

"Now, in order to prove yourself you must complete a series of tasks," explained Pein, smirking slightly. "From now until Saturday you shall be in a trail period. If you are useful, I will allow you to join. If you fail to meet my standards then you are exiled. None of the members present shall be allowed to speak with you and you will be shunned."

Shunned? The Hyuuga peered around the room at her friends for the first time since standing there. Their faces were grave, Pein wasn't lying. The leader had complete rule over the Akatsuki, they couldn't disobey if he said Hinata was off limits.

"Are you willing to accept these terms?"

The indigo-haired girl bit her lip, nodding once more. "Hai."

After the meeting, Itachi offered to drive Hinata back home. When she told him that her father was there he suggested that she come home with him until school was out. The Hyuuga agreed to it, seeing as how she couldn't go back to her classes. She'd ditched them! She felt like a rebel. It was fun and frightening at the same time.

The drive was quiet, neither saying much of anything. It wasn't awkward like before, with Itachi it was peaceful.

Once inside the Uchiha's house he got the quiet girl some tea. Hoping to make her visit pleasant. The Hyuuga had been to Itachi's house twice before, not going further than the kitchen with either stay. She assumed this would be no different.

As the indigo-haired girl sipped her tea, Itachi said to her,

"I'm truly sorry about this whole initiation thing."

"I-Itachi-sempai?" she quietly asked. When Hinata knew that she had his attention she asked, "Did y-you get in-initiated t-too?"

"Yes," answered the Uchiha with a sigh. "As did the others, like I told you. Though you should know that everyone in this gang isn't as kind as you may see them."

The Hyuuga's brow furrowed as she questioned, "What d-do you m-mean?"

His dark eyes met hers and he said very seriously,

"I'm sure you've heard the rumors," she nodded, "well they're true. Akatsuki is dangerous and we are dangerous for a reason. You've seen only a taste of their true personalities. Are you sure that this is what you want?"

"I-Itachi-sempai, I th-think, I'll b-be okay," replied Hinata, uncertain yet trusting. "I-it's m-my decision." She smiled brightly at him from across the table.

The Uchiha sighed and then smiled. He wanted to protect that innocent smile Hinata had. If something happened to her, he'd blame himself for it. For allowing her to join such a gang as Akatsuki. She had no idea what she was really getting herself into. Akatsuki was no joke, they were the real deal, Hinata would realize soon enough.

The Hyuuga involuntarily released a yawn. She'd been so excited yesterday that she didn't get much sleep and it was catching up with her.

"You want to take a nap?" offered Itachi, already on his feet.

The dark-haired man showed his guest upstairs and into one of the bedrooms. Hinata wasn't really paying attention to where she was, being exhausted. She collapsed onto the mattress and Itachi tucked her in and shut the door as he left. Hinata let her body melt into the comfy bed beneath her and she easily drifted into a peaceful sleep.

When a shout from the hall awoke the Hyuuga she found Sasuke entering the room.

The Uchiha paused at the doorway, hand still clutching the doorknob, and his ebony eyes locked on the girl in his bed.

"Hinata-san?"

Said girl immediately jumped up and out of her classmate's bed. Scrambling to her feet the Hyuuga apologized,

"G-gomen-na-nasai! I-I-I d-didn't kn-know that it w-was y-your bed! I-Itachi-s-sempai l-let me t-take a n-nap and-- School's a-already out!?"

"Yeah, about ten minutes ago," answered the confused Uchiha.

Hinata blanched, she'd forgotten about Hanabi. _How could I forget my own sister!? _Hinata mentally screamed at herself. She hurriedly snatched up her shoes from Sasuke's floor and began putting them on.

"I-I have t-to go p-pick up m-my little s-sister!" the frazzled girl explained, tying a bow with her shoelaces on her first foot. "Sh-she's pr-probably won-wondering where I a-am."

"Onee-chan!" came Hanabi's voice from the hallway. "Itachi-san already picked me up." The middleschooler appeared in the doorway. Hanabi didn't have her backpack, nor shoes and socks on. That meant she'd been there for a while. "When I got here you were still sleeping so Itachi-san gave me some cookies. Can we stay here for a while?" Hinata's sister looked at her with hopeful eyes.

"I-if it's al-r-right with Itachi-s-sempai and S-Sasuke-san," agreed the elder sister, looking to Sasuke.

"Itachi-san already said yes!" informed Hanabi loudly. Glaring at the undecided Uchiha in the room.

Sasuke shrugged. "I don't care."

With that Hanabi tore out of sight and back down stairs to where Itachi was most likely. Hinata suddenly felt very silly with one shoe on. She quickly put her other converse on and looked up at Sasuke. He was setting his backpack down by his closest.

Their gaze met and there was an awkward silence.

"Um," began Sasuke, shifting uncomfortably. Hinata was the first girl to be in his room. "So, how'd you get here?"

"Itachi-sempai d-drove me," replied Hinata, taking a seat on Sasuke's bed. It felt too weird to remain standing. "I w-wasn't f-feeling w-well."

"Oh," said the Uchiha. After a moment of deliberation, Sasuke walked over and took a seat on his bed with the indigo-haired girl. "Why'd you get called out of class?"

The Hyuuga instantly went into a panic. Was it alright to tell people that she was in the Akatsuki now? Or at least that she _might_ be? Would she get in trouble?

"Th-that! Th-that w-w-was, um, w-well, you see, i-it was--"

"Something to do with my brother's gang, the Akatsuki?" the raven-haired boy finished. He was frowning.

Hinata swallowed hard before answering, "Mhm. I-I'm b-being initiated."

"Why would you want to join a gang like that?" questioned Sasuke, disproval apparent. He detested them and the young Uchiha was going to make this clear.

"Th-they're n-nice."

"Tch. Yeah right," objected the raven-haired boy nastily. "You don't even know them! All of those guys are bad news, even Itachi-niisan."

"Th-that's n-not true!" she defended fiercely.

"They drink, do drugs, get in fights, and half of them have killed somebody!" yelled the Uchiha angrily.

In a rage, Hinata was on her feet and glaring at Sasuke. Channeling her anger she shouted,

"How dare you! Badmouthing them and your brother! You're a-a-a, well, a jerk!"

The Hyuuga left the raven-haired boy wordless. She rushed downstairs and out the door. Hinata didn't stop to think about her backpack or Hanabi, she just wanted to walk. Halfway down the next street the furious Hyuuga cooled down and realized she didn't have a clue where she was.

Almost on cue, a blue sports car flew passed the indigo-haired female, stopped, and reversed. Halting beside the Hyuuga, Madara grinned and greeted the girl with a,

"Hey, you're Tobi and Obito's friend, right?"

"H-hai. I-I'm Hinata H-Hyuuga. Hello," she responded politely.

The man in the car glanced around the deserted street and then back to the high school girl in front of him.

"You want a ride?"

The Hyuuga had to consider this. Her father would be furious if something happened to her in a stranger's car. Though she had already broken the rules many times that day and she did need a ride. Plus he was Tobi's uncle so he couldn't be bad. She had no idea that her reasoning was completely off.

"Arigato," Hinata thanked him, accepting his offer. The Hyuuga went around and got in the passenger side.

How lucky was it that he'd found her? The little Hyuuga heiress all on her own with no body guards to get in Madara's way. It was ideal and Hinata Hyuuga was none the wiser.

xXxXxXx

KisaHina! I actually like this pairing more than I first thought. Kisame is pimpin' and deserves appreciation! And if Hinata was too OOC in that moment, sorry! I was just thinking of what I'd do in the given situation! xD

:And:

I'm sorry to the everyone who didn't like Madara being evil! =(

--I actually kind of like him being the bad guy… Since that's his character through and through. I'll go light on the evilness.

**Reviewers:**

**I loved all the awesome Hinata pairings! I want to do most if not all of them. Cos' seriously Hinata looks good with anyone. **

Adelaide 'Adell' Peirce --I'll have some KabuHina too =) your suggestion gave me the perfect scenario! Thanks.

Pandamari -- Sorry about the OOCness. It's hard to keep them in character when the plot line is different and stuff… (check out the extra/update chapter about suffixes)

And I totally agree with you, Princess Who Didn't Have Crown , Pein makes a smexy bad boy ;)

Emmeline Creazil --Trust me. Naruto is going to see the awesomeness that is Hinata. I just want her to be a bit more stable.

Himeko63 --Imma try and fit in every pairing. This might turn out to be a hella long story though. Lol. Thank you for all the nice words too! :)

Someday-Known --I like HidanHina too! I think it's absolutely adorable.

**Thank you to all the readers, reviewers, and just plain awesome people out there! Keep reading and reviewing, please :)**

**Oh, and I need side pairings! Hina can't be the only one gettin' all the love! **


	9. Chapter Ate

**Announcement at the bottom!**

I'm updating! Haha, you can thank my strict parents for this chapter. I was grounded Sunday because of excessive partying…

{This chapter's short sorry.}

**Disclaimer:** All I own is the plot. Not the characters.

_**Thanks for reading!**_

* * *

xXxXxXx

When the door shut, Madara hit the gas pedal. The car rapidly accelerated until reaching a constant speed of 85 mph. The neighborhood whipped passed in a stream of blurs. Did Madara realize that he was _way_ over the speed limit? Hinata wanted to reach for her seatbelt, but was too afraid. The thoroughly terrified Hyuuga had her hands glued to the seat under her, clinging onto the leather.

"Where you headed?" Madara casually asked, as the vehicle shot around a sharp corner. The man drove insanely well for such a daring speed. Hinata could not believe the man was still alive driving in such a manner.

"M-m-my h-house," she stammered, keeping her eyes on the road ahead.

"On Tsubaki, by the school?"

"H-h-hai."

"You want to get some ice cream or coffee or something first?" the dark-haired man asked, turning the car into the busy roads and out of the neighborhoods. Hinata was silenced momentarily by the fear of crashing as Madara wove his car through the traffic with ease. She dared to catch a glimpse of the madman behind the wheel, only to find that he was driving _one_-handed! Her gaze snapped back to the bumper of the next car up.

"Um, o-okay!" the high school girl answered finally. If it would get the Uchiha to pull over it was fine with her.

After pulling into the parking lot of the nearest coffee place, Madara asked if she was okay.

"I-I'm f-f-fine," Hinata replied, staggering out of the car.

Madara watched her stumble a few times, attempting to regain her balance, he grinned with amusement. He moved toward the Hyuuga, taking her arm. She didn't resist and the pair entered the coffee shop, as chimes went off over head. Hinata was completely surprised to find Kiba Inuzuka behind the counter.

"Kiba-k-kun!" cried the indigo-haired girl, stepping away from the man on her arm. In full blush she hurried to the counter, happily relieved that her classmate was there. For some reason the fact that she was no longer alone with the Uchiha was comforting.

"Hey, Hinata-chan," greeted Kiba with a welcoming grin. Then he glanced over at the man that followed behind the Hyuuga. If he had been born a dog, Kiba would have growled, barked, and snapped at the man emitting such a lust for the oblivious Hinata.

Said girl glanced around and asked, "Y-you work h-here?"

Proudly, the Inuzuka said, "Yep, for about a month now. I gotta make a living somehow. My sister, Hana's all the help Ma needs at the clinic. And she never gives me money, so here I am."

Hinata nodded, not fully understanding, but she still answered with an, "Oh, I s-see." Kiba's attention was again directed at Madara and Hinata realized they probably didn't know each other. "K-Kiba-kun, th-this is M-Madara-san."

Madara chuckled, saying, "It's fine, Hinata-chan. Actually, we're already acquainted. Aren't we, Inuzuka-san?"

Kiba grimaced and nodded. "Yeah, Uchiha-_sensei_."

"Y-you're a t-teacher!?" squeaked the Hyuuga, turning to Madara, peering at the man with new eyes. To the teenage girl the elder Uchiha had just been Tobi's uncle, now he was an authority figure.

The man grinned and said, with a sense of arrogance, "Yeah, I'm the calculus teacher at the high school."

The indigo-haired girl was stunned. All this time she'd been driving around with a teacher! Even worse, he taught at her school! Wasn't that _illegal_!?

"I-I had n-no idea, Uchiha-s-sensei! I've b-been s-so dis-r-respectful a-and—"

Madara laughed at her innocent worry and said, "Hinata-chan, don't worry about it. You're practically _family_ anyway. Just call me Madara like everyone else. I mean, Itachi-san, Konan-chan, and Pein are in my class, I'm sure you know them?"

Hinata nodded, and then slowly made the connection. Itachi, Konan, and Pein were all Akatsuki. Every Akatsuki member was like 'family'. _So, does that mean . . . ?_

"Y-you're in Akat—"

Swiftly, Madara put his finger to her mouth to silence her rising question. It wasn't exactly common knowledge that he was in the gang. He had a career to uphold, rumors could not be spread. If word got out about his affiliation with Akatsuki or Hinata Hyuuga things would most certainly not go as planned. That was something that Madara wouldn't allow. He always got his way after all.

Watching intently, Kiba could practically smell that there was something deadly wrong here. He hadn't liked Uchiha-sensei since the first time he'd met him. Madara giving the Inuzuka detention for running in the halls didn't exactly help either, but in that moment Kiba knew that the Uchiha before him was hiding something. The way the man looked at Hinata, the way he acted, and whatever Hinata was about to say Madara obviously didn't want getting out. They were like warning bells in the Inuzuka's head.

"Hinata-chan, you can order whatever you want," said Madara, removing his finger from the bewildered girl's lips.

"A-arigato," she thanked, blushing again. Her colorless eyes peering up at the different drinks the shop served. Her head was buzzing with thoughts. In moments Madara went from an acquaintance, to her teacher, and finally to a fellow member of the same gang. The recognition was foreign to her. She was part of a gang.

While she was busy with that, Kiba took the chance to speak to the Uchiha. Teacher or not, the Inuzuka couldn't give a rats ass.

"Watch it, sensei," he cautioned darkly. His eyes were narrowed on Madara with a strong detestation.

The man in question chuckled and asked almost innocently, "What did I do?"

"If you touch her, I swear, I don't care that you're a teacher," the brunette warned, leaving his threat hanging in the air between them. They glared silently and then Hinata asked,

"Kiba-kun, c-can I get one-one of th-those?"

Reluctantly, the Inuzuka checked what exactly she was asking for, and then proceeded to make her requested beverage. Madara answered his phone during that time and suddenly exclaimed,

"What!?" Hinata and Kiba turned to look at the angry dark-haired man. "You—No, I don't care. Just –when? . . . Right. Calm down. I'll be there in ten." Madara slipped his phone into his pocket and smiled apologetically.

"Y-you're l-leaving?" questioned the Hyuuga, the disappointment was clear in her voice. That made the corner of Madara's mouth twitch upward.

"_We're _having a bit of a situation, so I have to go," the Uchiha clarified, his eyes told Hinata that it had to do with the Akatsuki.

Kiba snorted, "What a shame, sensei." He was glad that the man was leaving early.

Worriedly, Hinata asked in a hushed voice, "I-is everyone, o-okay?"

"It's just Deidara, again," whispered the Uchiha hurriedly. The Hyuuga's creamy white eyes went large with fear. "It's nothing serious. You'll hear about it tomorrow, I'm sure." Then louder he added, "Gomen, but I'm sure Inuzuka-san can take you home."

"Hey! I have work!" protested the brunette, irritated. Who did this man think he was, ordering him around like that?

"I-I can w-walk by-by myself," assured the indigo-haired girl. She wasn't that far away from her house and she'd gotten a ride almost all the way there. The Hyuuga didn't want to burden anyone more.

Kiba sighed, rubbing his temples.

"I'll walk you, yeah," the Inuzuka told her. There was no way that he could make Hinata walk all the way home by herself. As a man, Kiba was obligated. Besides, it wasn't that he didn't want to. He was simply busy at the moment.

"Good. See you soon, Hinata-chan," said Madara, handing Kiba a 20 dollar bill. Then he pulled out a shiny dark purple object and a black mess of wires, and handed it to Hinata saying, "Oh, yeah. Take this. Everyone has to have a cellphone. This one is for you."

Hinata's eyes went wide, staring at the electronic device in her fingers. She'd never had a cellphone, because her father disproved of it. He was traditional and believed children did not require such luxuries.

Madara didn't give her a chance to thank him before leaving. He was disappointed that business called him away, but there would be other opportunities. Hinata wasn't going anywhere, he had plenty of time.

The door shut behind him with a jingle, leaving the two teens by themselves.

"I hate that guy," mumbled the brunette, putting the lid of Hinata's vanilla bean blend on the plastic cup.

"W-why?" questioned the Hyuuga, her mouth turning into a frown.

As, Kiba passed her the drink over the counter, he said flatly, "I don't know. I just have a really bad feeling about that guy." He shrugged.

"Y-you shouldn't s-say that a-b-bout a teacher, K-Kiba-kun," chided the indigo-haired girl. She took a polite sip of her drink, and then added, "Madara-s-san is very nice. H-he gave m-me a r-ride today."

Kiba looked appalled. That bastard had Hinata in his car!?

"Hinata-chan, you can't just get in random guy's cars!" the Inuzuka reprimanded, fearing for her safety. He girl was too trusting in others.

Hinata giggled at his outburst. "It's al-r-right, Madara-san is m-my fr-friend's Ojii-s-san. And I kn-know him a-a l-little."

The brunette frowned, the girl before him had her head in a fantasy world where everyone was a good person. He could see that it wasn't because she was dumb, just clueless. Kiba sighed; Hinata was too cute for her own good.

"I'm off in an hour," he told her quickly, spotting a few customers flocking to the entrance. "Wait for me and I'll walk you, 'kay?"

"Arigato," she thanked him, moving to an open chair.

During the hour, Kiba would always take short breaks and talk with Hinata to ease her boredom. There weren't that many customers anyway. Soon enough, the hour was up, and another employee arrived to take Kiba's place. Eagerly, Kiba ripped off the stupid brown apron thing, throwing it at the new guy, and then hurried to the door. Hinata rose from her chair and joined him outside. After giving him directions, the two were off.

The coffee shop was about a sixteen minute walk from Hinata's house, so they had a while to chat. Kiba filled the silence with questions, funny remarks, and just babble. The Hyuuga was grateful that Kiba was walking her home; it was much more peaceful than another car ride with Madara. She did appreciate his kind offer, but in the future she would simply walk. Walking was always nice; it felt like there was no rush to get anywhere.

"It's cool hanging out with you like this," muttered Kiba, as they reached the Hyuuga household. "You should visit me at work sometimes. It gets so boring and I work on weekdays for about two hours."

"S-sure," agreed Hinata, smiling cheerfully. Kiba was fun to be around, he made her smile easily. "I'll s-see you at sc-school to-m-morrow."

"Yeah," agreed Kiba, then he took a step forward. Capturing the Hyuuga in a hug, he said, "Later, Hinata-chan." Pulling away with a smile on his face, he walked away from the cherry-red-faced girl. Feeling very accomplished, Kiba headed home.

Hinata watched him go, waving when he glanced back, before turning to head into the house.

When she opened the door, the Hyuuga girl was welcomed by an enraged father, a concerned cousin, and a pissed sister.

"Where have you been, young lady!?" demanded her father, furiously.

"I-I w-w-was w-with m-m-my f-fr-friend," she stammered, her head hanging low. She was ashamed that she'd made her father angry.

This answer did not appease her raging parent. "Hanabi came home without you and told me that you left an hour before she had! I was about to call the police! We thought that you were kidnapped! Or worse!" He went on like this for a while yet, shouting invectives at his first-born. Neji and Hanabi watched in muted silence, both feeling equally sorry for Hinata. Hiashi was always hardest on her, being the Hyuuga heir.

When he was finished, Hinata apologized for the twelfth time and went to her room. Without turning the light on, she dropped her backpack on the floor, and curled up in her bed. This was typical. Her father would yell, she would apologize, and then she'd retreat to her room. It was upstairs and with Hiashi's bad back, he never ventured that far into the house. It was a safe place for the most part. Only Hanabi or Neji could reach her and of course Hinata would turn them away.

All she wanted was to disappear. If she didn't exist, Hanabi would be the heir and her father would be proud. He never yelled at Hanabi and he was impartial to Neji. It was only Hinata that he couldn't stand. She was a failure and she knew it.

Looking for a form of comfort, she pulled out the cellphone Madara had given her. It was kind of pretty. It was an LG VU, but it was purple. They only came in wine or black, so she assumed it was custom made for her. When she unlocked it there was a picture of a white flower decorating the background.

She ventured further into the phone, checking out the applications. When she stumbled over the phonebook she found that there were already many numbers listed: Akatsuki Base, Deidara, Hidan, Itachi, Kakuzu, Kisame, Konan, Madara, Obito, Pein, Sasori, Tobi, and Zetsu. As well as a few others such as: Konoha Police Station, Konoha High School, Konoha Hospital, Konoha Emergency Room, and Papa's Pizza.

After Hinata was finished exploring the phone, she set the phone aside. Then silently thanking the Lord that Deidara was fine, the Hyuuga got started on her homework. Having only been to her second period, there wasn't exactly much to do, just a worksheet on grammar. Once she put that away, Hinata pulled out her favorite book and settled into her comfy bed.

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_Kay, so this chapter wasn't very long, or eventful. SORRY! D:_

_It was going to be a very, very long chapter, but this part didn't go so well. So, the next one will be super long!_

_I couldn't let Madara do anything to Hina-chan. I would feel so guilty… _

_Anybody like the KibaHina moment? :) Believe it or not, KibaHina was my FIRST favorite pairing. I've always hated NaruHina with a passion. _

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**To Everyone:** I'm glad you all liked the KisaXHina moment. It was fun to write! I WILL have more in here.

**Zetsubel** –TobiXTayuya is one of the most amazing pairing I've ever heard of! If you don't see it in here, I will most definitely write a piece for it. I've never been a fan of KisaXHina, but I'll probably look it up :)

**Mystic Mundane** –Seriously! Blue people need to be loved too! I feel you, school sucks doesn't it? :'(

**Himeko63** –There is MadaraXHinata. It's one of those twisted relationships though… I'm not sure if I want to go in-depth with it yet. That might just make things way too complicated. But if you like it, I'd be fine with adding it ^^

**Winterkaguya** –I didn't even notice that I focused on those pairings! 0_0 Itachi's gonna be in there a lot. Just not yet, he's too respectful and reserved. And, you caught on to that last part? I've kinda got a love triangle/square thing going on in my head with Hanabi.

**Kira Acumichi** –Thanks for the side pairing ideas! I'll see which ones work into the story. {And I think Hinata is so trusting that she'd get in a car with someone she'd met once. She's the kind who see's only the good in people.}

**Secretanemiefreak** –That's the plan! I figured that if Hinata met up with Naruto when she wasn't ready, all the Akatsuki's work would be for nothing. She's the type to fall back into love easily.

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**ATTENTION: I've decided to hold a poll on my profile. You can choose your top five guys—or Konan—for Hina-chan! So, please, go do that! {This is a chance for you silent readers to voice your opinions too!}**

**Thanks to all readers, reviewers, and awesome people! You guys rock! :D**


	10. Chapter Nine

**Disclaimer**: No tengo Naruto.

**AUTHOR'S NOTE!**

Ahh! I'm sooooo damn sorry! I haven't updated this story for hella days! I've been writing this for deep. It's so difficult to find time for writing . . . D:

But over all the times that I have been grounded these past weekends, which has been a considerable amount, I managed to write a couple pages each time! Lucky you guys! :D

I apologize if this isn't up to par with my previous chapters, I haven't been using my brain all that much lately. So, the quality of it is lacking, but I made up for it with quantity! Or at least, I tried. :'(

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xXx **.Chapter 9. **xXx

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When she woke up, the Hyuuga realized that she must have fallen asleep at some point during the sixth chapter of her novel. Glancing sleepily at the clock on the bedside table, Hinata saw that morning had already come. She'd slept all night and it felt good. Smiling contently to herself she got ready for another day of school.

Heading out the door, the indigo-haired girl snatched the cellphone that was now hers and stuffed it into the pocket of her faded jean skirt. She was wearing two spaghetti strap shirts, the first white and the second was baby blue. Each hugged her figure tightly and had a dip that revealed a little of her chest. Today she wore white flats that each sported mini bows on the sides. Her hair was left down, an indigo piece tucked away by a blue bow.

The instant her foot touched her front porch, there was an odd ringing. She pulled out her phone and the screen was lit up with the name **Itachi**.

Hurriedly pressing the tiny phone icon on the bottom of the cellular device, she held it to her ear and said,

"H-hello?"

"Cross the street and get into the back of the van."

Then the line went dead. Hinata would have been totally freaked out if it hadn't been Itachi's voice on the line. Her alabaster gaze drifted to a shiny black van sitting idly across the street. The Hyuuga approached the van with caution. Once she reached the other side of the street, the back doors flew open with a 'bang' and an arm reached out and pulled the indigo-haired girl inside.

On the other side of the street, Neji was staring with wide eyes as he witnessed his cousin get dragged into the back of a shady looking van. Still, shocked Neji watched as the vehicle sped away from the curb and screech hurriedly around the corner. That was not a great way to start the day. Almost eight in the morning and his cousin is already kidnapped.

Shit, his uncle was going to be pissed.

Unaware of the amount of trouble she was about to get into, Hinata was relaxing into the van. Itachi was in the driver's seat with Konan seated beside him. Standing next to her was Kisame: he'd been the one to pull her inside.

"Morning, Hinata-chan," the blue boy wished her, grinning. Each of his sharp white teeth gleamed in the small amount of light. Before the sight had intimidated the Hyuuga, now it was comforting.

Smiling happily, the indigo-haired girl greeted everyone in the van with a bright, "M-morning, every-o-one."

"Good morning," replied Itachi, his charcoal-colored eyes turning to glance back at the two of them from the rearview mirror before redirecting his attention on the road.

"How are you this morning?" asked Konan softly, turning completely around in her seat so that her back was to the windshield. She had refused to buckle her seat belt, detesting the way it held her constricted. She was free spirited after all.

"G-good," Hinata answered, "a-and you, Konan-s-san?"

Now leaning against the dashboard, there was a bit of a smile playing on the blue-haired girl's lips as she replied, "Fabulous."

"You should sit down," advised the Uchiha flatly, watching them from the rearview mirror. But, before the Hyuuga could do so, the van went over a bump. The entire vehicle lurched for a moment and the indigo-haired girl was knocked off her feet. Luckily Kisame had seen this coming and with one outstretched arm he caught her before she fell flat on her butt.

Kisame laughed and jokingly said, "Jeez, Hinata-chan, be careful."

Hinata squeaked in response, too embarrassed to verbalize her discomfort. The palm of Kisame's hand was pressed firmly to the roof, keeping the pair of them upright. Hinata was grateful that there was hardly any lighting in the back of the van, because she was red as a tomato. The car slowed for a moment, Itachi was granting the Hyuuga time to seat herself. Kisame reluctantly removed his arm from around the indigo-haired girl.

"Th-th-thank y-you," she said to both Kisame and Itachi. She and her blue friend seated themselves on the carpet in the back. Hinata was slightly intrigued by the red patterns decorating the black floor, they appeared to be clouds.

"We're going to the base for a minute," announced the raven-haired driver, turning the car down an unfamiliar street. They were going the opposite direction from the school, not that this seemed to worry anyone.

Folding her bare legs beneath her, Hinata turned to Kisame and engaged in happy chatter. The ride to the base was not very long, Itachi drove quite fast, though not as fast as Madara. Maybe all Uchiha's had a penchant for speeding…

Beside the driver, Konan fiddled with her cellphone. She hardly looked up from the illuminated screen. It seemed that she was in the middle of a text conversation with someone.

There was a pleasant atmosphere in the van, but it ended when the car came to a final stop.

"Hinata-chan, if you would, please come inside with me," requested Konan, opening the passenger door.

"S-sure," the girl in question complied. Getting to her feet, Hinata fled out the back of the van.

The Akatsuki base was much less intimidating than last time. There were lights on and it actually looked like someone's home, but without the furniture. The air was warmer and cheerier by far. Konan silently led the indigo-haired girl upstairs. There was a subtle anticipation to her step, wishing to reach the top floor faster. When, the two arrived on the second floor, Konan directed the Hyuuga to a door. She hurriedly pulled it open.

When the blue-haired girl revealed the inside of the room, Hinata was taken aback. Displayed in the middle of the room, on a mannequin, there was an outfit. Not just any outfit, it was an outfit fit for a whore. The top was bikini style: two white, round cups with vibrant violet lace. The bottom was the teeniest mini skirt: a three inch band of white gave way to two inches of pleated violet fabric. Beside the mannequin, there was a pair of five inch white heels innocently sitting along with bunny ears and a fluffy white tail.

"You'll be wearing this today," clarified Konan, and she was smirking. Smirking! "Pein picked it out for you. It's one of your tasks for the initiation."

Alabaster eyes went wide, glossed lips parted and came together repeatedly—much like a fishes mouth would, but Hinata could only stare mutely at the mannequin.

Seeing this opportunity, Konan delightfully shut the door and proceeded to rip the Hyuuga's clothes off.

When they returned outside, the van was still sitting idly in the driveway. The indigo-haired freshman couldn't believe that she was wearing the bunny costume.

Oh, yes, she was wearing it. The bitty little skirt, the covers-only-the-essentials top, the heels that brought the girl to Itachi's height, the bunny ears that gave it that bit of innocence, and the little tail that the Hyuuga was fiddling with. It felt odd to have a ball of fluff attached to her bottom; it would surely annoy her all day.

But the real issue was that she felt naked. The indigo-haired girl's head was swimming with worry. How would other people react to this costume? In seconds she received her answer.

Konan opened the door to the back of the van, greeted by Kisame's jaw dropping open and his eyes bursting forth. He couldn't believe how freaking hot Hinata looked. Her level of sexiness was off the charts in his books.

"Damn," the shark like boy muttered absently, his mouth agape.

Hinata was only further embarrassed by his comment and silently thanked Itachi, who had already turned around. What she didn't know was that the reason Itachi had turned away was because the Uchiha had a nosebleed. He was cupping his hand over the face to stop the flow, but his eyes were locked onto her creamy figure in the mirror above his head.

Konan snickered, glancing around at the two, shamelessly pointing out, "You haven't seen anything yet~"

For, of course, Konan—in order to change Hinata's outfit—had seen EVERYTHING.

The indigo-haired girl squeaked uncomfortably, turning to Konan in surprise. She hadn't expected her to make such a remark! Hinata clutched her bare stomach, turning away from everyone.

"P-p-please, s-stop s-st-staring at m-me," she stuttered cutely. That only made the situation worse. Hinata had the absolute cutest voice. Everything she said sounded sexy and seductive without her trying. A trail of saliva slid down the blue boy's chin, still staring.

"Kisame, you're drooling," commented Konan, raising an eyebrow.

Hurriedly wiping away the evidence, he claimed, "No, I'm not."

Snorting, Konan ushered Hinata into the van, snapping at Kisame that he was not to touch the Hyuuga, before going around to the passenger side of the vehicle. Once the doors shut, Itachi rolled out of the driveway.

The trip to school was odd. It consisted of Kisame blankly staring at the Hyuuga and that was about it. The indigo-haired girl squirmed under his intense gaze, unable to lower the heat that had arisen in her face. She was blushing madly, using her arms to cover as much of her torso as possible.

"We're here," announced Itachi, turning into the student parking lot. He'd managed to calm down considerably, what with Konan glaring daggers at him. The blue-haired girl had expected the Uchiha, of all people, to have some modesty.

In Hinata's mind, there was nothing more embarrassing than the car ride she'd just experienced, but when they pulled up at the school, she stood corrected. It finally dawned on the indigo-haired girl that other people would be seeing her. The entire school would be her audience! Oh god, death sounded good right then. She wouldn't have to go through this day.

Already seeing the horror in the Hyuuga's colorless eyes, Itachi calmly said, "It'll be okay, Hinata-san."

The Uchiha turned the vehicle into the student parking lot. Sliding the van into his personal space, he cut the ignition. When he and Konan stepped onto the pavement, they turned to see that the back doors had yet to open. The two peered inside to see that Hinata was still inside, clutching onto the back of the driver seat like it was her life line.

"What do you think you're doing?" questioned Itachi, slightly amused.

Kisame sighed and explained, "She won't let go of it."

"I-I-I c-can't g-go to sc-school w-wearing th-this!" the indigo-haired girl protested. Her big porcelain eyes pleaded with Itachi to let her remain in the car. The guilt that Itachi felt was almost enough for him to allow her to have her way, but Konan had different views.

The blue-haired girl hopped into the back, removing something from a cardboard box. Then in one swift motion, Konan put a collar around the Hyuuga's neck and said, "You're our pet bunny for the day." With that, Konan moved for the back door, giving the leash a tug. The bunny yelped, grudgingly releasing the seat.

Stumbling out of the car, Hinata tried to balance in her heels. She'd never liked high heels, they hurt her feet, but she could see the Akatsuki leader wasn't thinking about her. At least, not her well being, because at that moment the aloof orange-haired teen's thoughts were solely on the Hyuuga. Not that she had anyway of knowing that.

"Hinata-chan, if you be a good girl I might give you a treat," informed Konan brightly, smiling pleasantly. She was enjoying this. The older girl was slightly sadistic in this way. Plus, it was like having a puppy, only human shaped. Pein was going to have to buy her a new dog when this was all over.

As, Konan dragged Hinata along, the indigo-haired girl tried every feeble excuse she could think of. They were all disregarded with a kind scolding and soon she gave up. Instead, the whimpering bunny desperately turned to Itachi for help. She received none. He gave her a sympathetic look that said there was nothing he could do in the situation. Kisame was a last resort and she gained nothing from that venture either. Kisame was very pro initiation after this stunt.

As, they neared the front of the school, Hinata felt the knot in her stomach twist considerably, there was no escape.

The four of them stepped onto the campus, jaws dropped open, eyes popped out of their skulls, and wolf whistles were sounded. There was even some cheering from a select few. Every male had stopped dead in their tracks to gawk at the girl wearing bunny ears.

"I-It's t-too s-short," mumbled the indigo-haired girl, uselessly tugging at her skirt, embarrassed by their intent stares. Her face was cheery red and she could not meet their gazes.

_This is so embarrassing! They're just staring at me!_

Bravely, the Hyuuga chanced a glimpse of the crowd. It was as if they were on pause, everyone had dropped what they were doing to stare at her. Didn't they have anything better to do!

Not that anyone could blame them; they were just boys after all, teenage ones. To make it worse, they were the kind with raging hormones and dirty minds. If Hinata only knew what was going on in their heads . . .

"K-Konan-san," whimpered Hinata feebly, frowning sadly. To the blue-haired girl it looked like Hinata was pouting cutely and it only encouraged Konan to pull the leash more.

Seeing this, Itachi snatched the leash from Konan. "Give her a break, Konan."

The blue-haired girl rolled her eyes, pouting for real. Itachi coldly ignored her and turned to Hinata, smiling sadly. Feeling a deep appreciation for the Uchiha, she reached out for him. Catching hold of his sleeve, the Hyuuga melted into his side. She felt reasonably safer behind him, giving her some cover from unwanted onlookers. Blushing into his sleeve, Hinata let out a sigh of relief.

"Where's your first class?" mumbled Konan, looking annoyed. She had her arms crossed across her chest impatiently.

"A-art," answered the Hyuuga, unable to look at Konan. She felt like it was her fault that the blue-haired girl was very pissed off.

Kisame and Konan parted ways there, letting Itachi walk Hinata to her art class. The indigo-haired girl had her head hanging low, staring at the ground as she walked. Her Uchiha escort could see that it was to avoid the many staring students. Every hall they passed through went silent before erupting into murmurs or guys pleading for her phone number. Hinata didn't enjoy this kind of attention; she would rather go by unnoticed. Because there was also the girl population and they looked angry. Very angry.

"You don't have it that bad," Itachi informed the Hyuuga, in hopes of comforting her. They had just entered the quad, drawing nearer to the Art building. "When, Deidara was initiated Pein had him wear a dress and Konan did his makeup. Konan truly enjoys initiations, because she never had the displeasure of enduring one."

Hinata couldn't believe it. Deidara was forced into a dress? That was by far much worse than her own situation, at least she wasn't cross-dressing. And why hadn't Konan been initiated? Because she was Pein's best friend? The indigo-haired girl was a little too scared to ask.

"P-poor Deidara-kun," she mumbled, feeling ashamed of herself. If Deidara could wear a dress, then she could most certainly wear a bunny costume. She was acting so pathetic this was probably nothing in comparison. The Hyuuga's insecurities were getting the best of her.

Itachi brought Hinata to her first period class and wished her a good day before he went on his way. Mortified, from being left on her own, the Hyuuga fled into the classroom. The bell went off a second later and she hurriedly took her seat from the first day.

Kurenai-sensei was out for the moment, but had left the door open for her students. There were instructions scrawled on the front board. So, the indigo-haired girl got straight to work, drawing her 2-D objects on a piece of white paper.

When the door opened again, and the room was filled with voices, the Hyuuga shrunk into her seat. Hoping to be overlooked, but failed miserably.

"Whoa," came a boy's voice.

Then in a swarm, three boys flocked to Hinata's table. They began pestering her with questions, all of them speaking at once. It was so overwhelming, the Hyuuga couldn't even reply.

"Uh, um, eh…"

"Hey, fuck off!"

The antagonizing boys slowly back away, grumbling their complaints.

Thankful, Hinata turned to gaze upon her savior. She found Hidan and Sasori were there, looking pissed. Hidan hissed as one of the boys passed by him, causing them weakly to jump.

Sasori glared at every one of them. There was one thing an Akasuna would never be and that was forgiving. Grudges were life long.

"Hinata-kun, are you all right? What did they say to you?" the redhead asked her, clearly irritated by the other boys. He could see that they'd done something to her.

"Th-they w-were j-just o-over-w-whelming m-me," the Hyuuga tried to explain. It really wasn't their fault that she was so painfully shy. She gave them a reassuring smile.

"Holy fuck," breathed Hidan, noticing for the first time that Hinata was hardly clothed and wearing bunny ears. He wasn't the most observant at eight in the morning. "What the fuck are wearing!"

The indigo-haired girl's cheeks burned as she recalled what she was dressed in.

Embarrassed all over again, she explained, "I-it's f-f-for the-the in-ni-nitiation."

Sasori raised his eyebrows in subtle surprise, almost with amusement, remarking, "Well, Pein is making this year interesting."

"That bastard," muttered Hidan, who was completely turned on. His cheeks were colored red as the heat rose to his face. He was a guy for God's sake! And Hinata looked so damn sexy.

"All right everyone, take your seats!" commanded Kurenai, entering the classroom. The dark-haired woman glided to the front of the class and drew everyone's attention to the board.

Hidan looked agitated by her presence, muttering, "Just fucking great." He took his seat nonetheless, Sasori following his lead.

The comprehension that Deidara was missing hit Hinata in an instant. "Wh-where's Deidara-k-kun?"

Sasori rolled his eyes, answering, "Home. That idiot."

"Y-yesterday," she began, her worry arising again. "M-Madara-san s-said that D-Deidara-kun was in t-trouble?"

"What the fuck are you doing hanging around Madara!" demanded Hidan angrily, disregarding her question. The very mention of the man's name pissed him off. "That bastard is no good!"

Sasori looked equally concerned on this matter.

"Eh? R-really?" she questioned, frowning. Why was everyone so against Madara? "H-he seemed v-very n-nice to me."

The corners of Sasori's mouth turned downwards and Hidan went off, cursing Madara to hell. He began scolding Hinata for speaking to such a low down dog. They both knew that if Madara was cozying up to Hinata that could only mean one thing. The man was planning something and it would probably end badly for the unsuspecting girl.

This lecture lasted throughout half the period until the Hyuuga promised to be careful around Madara. The three settled down and continued on with there art projects of the day. Near the end of class Hinata picked up the topic of Deidara again. The blonde's absence was weighing heavily on her mind.

"Aw, forget about that dumbass," advised Hidan, scowling. "Dei ain't here cos' Pein said so. Leave it at that." There was a swift change in Hidan's tone when he mentioned Pein's name, he went from annoyed to submissive.

"Oh, okay," the white-eyed freshman quietly agreed. "G-gomen."

The bell rang and the group scuffled out of the art building. More of the same gawking and hollering resumed.

"Fuckers," muttered Hidan, hearing the murmurs all around.

The two boys acted as Hinata's guards, taking both sides of her. She was thankful for the gesture; the other students were frightening her slightly. She began to wonder if life would have been better going unnoticed by others. When she was a wallflower, this kind of attention was never directed at the Hyuuga.

Sasori had somewhere to go at break, so Hidan brought Hinata straight to their third period class. Getting her away from the populace seemed like a good idea. The two saw that Sarutobi-sensei was in the class, seated at his desk. When he glanced up from his paperwork, the man's eyes went large as saucers.

"Y-you—Hyuuga-san! Wh-what do you think you're wearing!" exclaimed the flustered teacher. He obviously found her attractive and that didn't sit well with Hidan.

Terrified, Hinata began her broken record antics, desperately choking out, "I-I-I—"

"Leave her alone, you perverted old bastard!" commanded the silver-haired boy, his eyes narrowing on their sensei.

"Do I need to send you both to the office?" challenged Sarutobi, glowering at his defiant student. This was Hidan's second year in his classroom, and it wasn't a pleasure. The math teacher knew that Hidan was one for cheating, ditching, lashing out at authority, and an overall bad student. He knew nothing of Hinata Hyuuga, aside from the fact she was barely clothed and wearing a provocative ensemble. Sarutobi didn't trust her one bit. "Hyuuga-san, you are violating the school dress code. I'm going to ask you to change, or get out of my classroom."

Hidan smirked, asking, "Are you sexually harassing Hinata-chan?" He raised an eyebrow expectantly at his teacher. Sarutobi looked taken aback, and more flustered. The math teacher knew that Hidan was one for cheap tricks. "She could sue you for that, you know?"

"Hidan-san, is that a threat?" bit out Sarutobi, glaring. He was one of the few teachers who would go head on against the Akatsuki. Most sensei's simply overlooked their ill-mannered behavior, finding it too troublesome, but Sarutobi could not stand it.

Hidan chuckled lightly, replying, "I wouldn't do that sensei. I'm just looking out for Hinata-chan's well being."

"There are rules at this school," reminded Sarutobi, getting to his feet. "Dress code, in particular. Hyuuga-san is breeching those rules of conduct. I will not allow her in my classroom dressed in that manner!"

Hidan's face went blank for a moment, before a devious grin spread over his features. "Okay, then we'll be seeing you, Sensei."

Hidan moved towards Hinata, lifted her into his arms, and carried her out of the class bridal style. He ignored Sarutobi's yelling after them, and headed straight for the exit. After carrying her to the school gate, the silver-haired boy set the Hyuuga down.

The bell had rung and the students were heading to class, but Hidan decided that if Sarutobi didn't want Hinata in his class, he didn't have to be there either. That called for a field trip to be in order, one that took them away from grouchy old pervs.

"H-Hidan-kun," squeaked the indigo-haired girl, she wasn't keen on ditching more school. How would her grades fair if she never went to class? "M-maybe w-we could've t-talk to Sarutobi-s-sensei. I m-mean, i-instead of—"

"We're gonna go to Dei's," announced Hidan, cutting across the Hyuuga's words. The silver-haired junior was laidback as he crossed the street, getting further away from the high school. Hinata absently followed, entranced by the thought of seeing Deidara. Actually seeing the blonde would help calm her fears of his endangerment, Hidan could tell. Hinata worried too much.

The Hyuuga struggled to keep up with her silver-haired friend's long strides. At the same time, she was battling against the cold. It was still chilly that morning; a gusty breeze was plowing through Konoha that day. To make matters worse she had nothing to block the wind from attacking her bare skin.

Freezing, Hinata chased after Hidan. Her manicured fingers retracted into a fist, the ice of the air biting at the tips. Drawing a sharp breath, her arms crossed and she rubbed over the tiny goose bumps forming on her creamy skin. Quickly, she tugged on the ends of her hair, fixing the bunny ears that were stationed on her head, and then went back to hugging herself for warmth. Unwillingly the Hyuuga's teeth began chattering.

"Here," presented Hidan, extending his hand to her. In his grasp was the black jacket he had been wearing until just then.

"I-I couldn't, H-Hidan-kun!" refused Hinata, cowering away from the clothing in his hand. "Y-you would be c-cold! I-It's n-not—"

"Just take it, damn it!" ordered the silver-haired boy, thrusting the jacket at her.

The bunny squeaked, relieving the article from Hidan's grip. She slipped it on to find that it was warm; she felt at least fifty percent warmer already. Guilt washed through her when the Hyuuga's colorless gaze landed on Hidan's upper half. Without his jacket, the junior was sporting a loose, thin white wife beater.

"A-aren't you c-cold?" mumbled Hinata, frowning. She didn't like this set up, it wasn't fair that he had to freeze in her stead.

But, Hidan shook his head. He proclaimed, "This is fucking nothing. It's not even chilly!" A strong gust of air contradicted every word he'd just spoken, making the silver-haired boy shiver unintentionally.

"You're l-lying!" protested the Hyuuga, proceeding to remove the jacket at once.

"No!" growled the junior, readjusting the jacket on Hinata.

"You c-could get s-sick!" objected the indigo-haired female.

"It doesn't matter if I'm cold, or get sick!" contradicted Hidan, his lips pressed into a firm line. He was getting frustrated with Hinata and trying miserably not to show it. "Look, if you catch a cold I'd feel shittier than if I did. So, wear the fucking jacket!" The Hyuuga flinched when Hidan yelled at her. Seeing the damage, Hidan quickly added, "Please?"

Nodding slowly, Hinata gave in to his demands. She didn't want to provoke him anymore with the jacket. It was a stupid thing to fight over anyway. Hidan groaned seeing her down expression. Why couldn't he ever do anything right?

The remnants of their spat hung in the air as they carried on with their journey. Awkwardly drifting in silence, both attempted to path the growing rift.

"Look I'm s—"

"I-I didn't m-mean— Oops. Um, you c-can go f-first."

"Oh, uh, never mind. You can—"

"N-no, please, g-go ahead."

"It's fine if you go first."

"B-but I—"

"Fucking say it already!" shouted the silver-haired man.

"I'm sorry!" she shrieked, frightened. "I'm s-so stupid. I sh-shouldn't have b-been s-so rude, re-refusing your j-jacket. I-I'm a t-terrible person! K-Konan-san s-said that y-you can punish m-me how you s-see fit!" The Hyuuga bowed her head to her upperclassman, leaving the man speechless.

"Punish? What the fuck is that crazy bitch telling you?" Hidan angrily demanded, glowering. "Pein and his fucked up initiation rituals . . ." His silver head swayed back and forth. He took a deep breath, cooling his hot head. "Hime, you don't have anything to apologize for. I—I don't know how to . . . deal with a situation. Kakuzu's always on me about this shit, that fucker." He scowled, before continuing. "So, if I ever yell at you again, uh . . . you can hit me. Yeah, that should work. If I'm ever a bastard to you go ahead and beat the shit out of me. I probably deserved it anyhow. Okay?"

The indigo-haired girl giggled, imagining a day when she could really 'beat the shit' out of Hidan, or anyone else for that matter. Would a day like that even arise?

"H-Hidan-kun," she started, her mind settled. "I p-promise to ki-kick your b-butt if you ever b-be mean to m-me again! Ano, that is, i-if y-you'll let m-me wear your jacket w-when it's cold?"

Hidan chuckled, reaching out to ruffle Hinata's indigo bangs. "Sure, Hime, it's a deal."

The gentle gesture made the Hyuuga smile, her cheeks heating up to a rosy pink. From yelling at her to comforting her, Hidan really was lost with this kind of thing. But he'd be damned if he didn't try, at least for Hinata.

The two ventured onward, going this way and that, weaving through the neighborhoods. It wasn't more than ten minutes before Hidan veered off onto someone's walkway. The pale-eyed girl glanced up at the house before them. It wasn't as decrepit as the base, but it was still ghetto looking. The pale yellow paint was chipping away; the white trim was turning a dingy gray-brown. The front window was broken and a piece of blue duct tape was visible from the sidewalk. The exterior showed a few of its interior flaws as well, such as the gaping hole on the house's second story.

As she wondered how it got there, the front door opened and Hidan was conversing with someone. Hinata first instinct was to think that it was Deidara, but instead there was a tired looking woman. The Hyuuga hurried to Hidan's side, feeling out of place on the sidewalk. From closer up, the indigo-haired girl could see that the woman resembled Deidara vaguely and she was extremely gorgeous. The woman was young, tall, thin, curvy, with sunny yellow-colored hair to her hips. Hinata wondered if she was Deidara's older sister, she couldn't be more than 35.

"Oh, Dei-chan is in his room," said the woman, her vibrant blue eyes shifting inquisitively to Hinata. "And you are?"

"I-I'm H-Hinata Hyuuga," she told the woman. "D-Deidara-kun's f-friend."

The blonde gave them a curt nod and allowed the pair entrance. She motioned for them to go up the stairs, and they did. On the tenth step, Deidara's mother called, "And, Hidan-kun?"

The silver-haired boy stopped in his tracks, turning to the blonde woman down the steps. "What?"

She smiled wryly, saying, "If you would, please tell my good-for-nothing son to get his ass out of bed sometime today."

Then the petite lady marched out of sight, down one of the picture lined hallways. The Hyuuga was shocked that Deidara's mother was so young and voluptuous while Hidan scoffed, shaking his head slightly. In his opinion, Deidara's mother wasn't a total bitch, but she couldn't give a damn about her kid. To Iwa-san Deidara was just another disappointment, like his father.

Hidan pounded on the door at the top of the stairs, the words "FUCK OFF" were printed clearly on the wooden barrier.

"Dei, get your fuckin' ass out of bed!" shouted Hidan over the sound of his fist beating the door. "I know you can here me, you fucker! So, open the goddamn d—"

The door flew open, revealing a very angry blonde in teal pajama pants. Deidara's rage was quickly lost when he heard the familiar squeal of a certain Hyuuga. Hinata's milky-white orbs were locked onto Deidara's bare chest. The blonde was half naked, he hadn't been expecting visitors. Seeing the indigo-haired girl in no more clothes then himself, Deidara froze.

"Goddamn, put some fucking clothes on!" demanded Hidan, freeing them of an awkward silence. He roughly shoved the blonde back, forcing Deidara from his stupor. The boy grabbed the nearest shirt and pulled it over his blonde head.

Face boiling with embarrassment, Hinata entered the room on Hidan's command. The Hyuuga pulled Hidan's jacket tighter around her figure as she edged towards the wall. Her head was still buzzing with the image of Deidara's six-pack. Tan, muscular, and defined the blonde had stood before her. The image would forever burn in her retinas.

"I'm guessing that the outfit is for the initiation, but what're you doing here, yeah?" questioned the Iwa, side glancing at Hidan.

Who indifferently replied, "Yeah, Sarutobi-sensei was being a dick. So, we bounced." The silver-haired boy turned to Hinata and added for her sake, "Plus, the hime was worried about you." He smirked at the dazed look on the Hyuuga's face.

Deidara looked confused, asking, "Worried?"

"W-well, Madara-s-san said that you were in t-tr-trouble," explained the indigo-haired girl. "And th-then you weren't at sc-school . . ."

"Oh that, yeah," mumbled the blonde, scratching the back of his head. He thought about something before asking, "You know that ramen shop, um, Ichiraku? The one that's ran by the old geezer and his daughter?"

Hinata nodded, having gone to that ramen shop many times before. It was one of her favorite places in her middle school years. There was always a cheery boy that went there every night . . .

"W-what a-b-bout it?" questioned the Hyuuga, her face twisting. Hidan shook his head, knowing the outcome of the blonde's tale. It was a shock to hear the first time around, but now it was just stupid.

Deidara's face lit up with a childlike enthusiasm as he proudly proclaimed, "I blew it up, yeah!"

There was a moment where Hinata's jaw dropped open, her words caught in her throat, and she envisioned the tiny ramen stand erupting in an explosion of smoke, fire, and noodles.

"D-Deidara-kun, th-that's bad!" she finally exclaimed, still generally stunned.

The blonde didn't seem to care about how 'bad' his actions were. Instead Deidara erupted into a fit of laughter, finding the whole thing very comical. The Iwa had hated the old man that worked at Ichiraku's, so he saw fit to blow up the stand. It was perfectly logical from his standpoint. No more ramen shop, no more grouchy old man to tell him that it was against the law to smoke a cigarette when you're under eighteen.

"Dei, you're such a dumbass," grumbled Hidan, plopping down on the bomber's unmade bed. "The cops _know_ you did it—you're the only dumb fuck who actually _would_. If Pein hadn't bailed your ass out of trouble, you'd be sitting in jail right now."

"Eh, whatever, yeah," dismissed the chuckling blonde. "What'd Ol' Sarutobi say anyway?"

Hidan grunted, telling Deidara of the incident. From there he continued into other topics and Hinata settled onto Deidara's bed during the strings of stories occasionally giving her input. It wasn't until a knock on the door came, that they realized they were supposed to be somewhere else.

Kakuzu and Sasori were at Deidara's bedroom door, looking bored and annoyed. The redhead's school bag was hanging off his shoulder, reminding the group that school was still in session. Kakuzu had left his own bag in the trunk of his truck.

"Why aren't you two in third period?" the Akasuna questioned the ditchers.

Hidan shrugged this time, too lazy to give a recital. "Didn't feel like it."

"W-what period i-is it?" curiously asked Hinata, shifting on the comfy mattress. She really didn't want to go back at this point; the Iwa house was very warm.

"We left ten minutes into fifth," answered Kakuzu, peering around. Then the dark-skinned boy moved to take a seat in the desk's unoccupied swivel chair. Sasori sat on the carpet, legs folded Indian-style.

Sasori pulled out his cell phone, announcing, "If you want to get back before lunch, you should probably get going soon." He raised an eyebrow at the indigo-haired girl in the room, gauging her reaction.

The redhead was thoroughly impressed to see Hinata didn't even bat an eye. The Hyuuga was already relatively comfortable with skipping out on school. The first day she had made such a fuss about breaking the rules. She was slowing drifting over to the Akatsuki's way of thinking.

"Fuck school," voiced Hidan, scowling. He leaned back against the white wall of Deidara's bedroom, placing his hands behind his silver head. "Who actually learns shit in those gay-ass classes anyway?"

It was a rhetorical question, but Hinata found herself answering it all the same. "If y-you paid atten-t-tion in class, you could l-learn lots of things."

Hidan lifted his shoulders in a half effort to show his indifference.

"Pein wants Hinata-kun back by lunch," said Sasori, his gaze fixated on the indigo-haired girl. She shifted uncomfortably at the leader's mention.

"Why?" demanded Deidara, his brow furrowing. He didn't want the quiet girl to go back to school; it was somewhere the blonde couldn't follow.

Kakuzu flatly answered, "Cos' Pein said. That's why."

There it was again. Pein flaunting his power to get what he wanted. The orange-haired leader was never questioned when it came to orders. Hinata wondered if she too would one day utter the words, 'Because Pein said' or something along those lines.

"Come on, fuck Pein!" exclaimed Hidan, attempting to sway the others to revolt. The silver-haired junior was one of the only members that would openly defy their leader. No one joined Hidan in the 'fuck Pein' campaign and after a moment the boy grumbled, "Fine, we'll go back."

The Hyuuga frowned. She wanted to stay, stay far away from Pein.

"Actually, Pein has an assignment for you, Hidan," notified Kakuzu, passing the silver-haired boy a piece of folded paper.

Curiously, Hidan took the note, reading it silently. He muttered the word, "Fucker," and slipped the note into the butt pocket of his jeans. With that the junior stood, running a hand through his slicked back silver locks. His irritation rolled off him in waves and Deidara had to ask,

"What is it, yeah?"

"I gotta' go," replied Hidan hastily. He was already halfway out the door when he called, "I'll see you guys around. Later, Hime!"

There was an awkward silence left in Hidan's wake and Hinata accidentally broke it with a sneeze. It was a soft sound, hardly audible, but it made Deidara exclaim,

"That was so cute, yeah!"

The Hyuuga despised her sneeze. She was involuntarily blushing madly, hiding half her face behind her hands. Hinata was known for her sneeze, it made a "chu" sound and it reminded everyone of a little mouse. There was a time when Gaara called her "Sneeze" because he thought it was adorable, to that day he teased her about it.

"I h-hate m-my sneeze," mumbled the red-faced girl, unable to make eye contact with the others in the room. Before the atmosphere could turn sour, the silence was easily displaced.

"Hinata-san, do you want a ride back to school in a bit?" offered Kakuzu, saving her from dwelling in embarrassment.

The indigo-haired girl glanced at him, smiling appreciatively. "Th-that would be very n-nice. Arigato, Kakuzu-kun."

A few minutes before lunch, the two of them collected themselves and said their goodbyes. The Iwa made it a point that Hinata was welcome to come over to his house anytime. Then the indigo-haired girl gave a little wave before shutting Deidara's bedroom door behind them. Sasori opted to stay with Deidara, he didn't wish to return to school that day.

As the duo arrived back on school campus, they found that the bell had already rung. There were students still scurrying about, some settling on the front lawn to eat their food, others engaging in a game of hack. Hinata stuck close to Kakuzu, hoping to fly under the radar into the cafeteria. It was successful, until the Hyuuga tripped as they entered the café.

"Eyaahhh!" she squealed, frightened. The ground was getting rapidly nearer to her face and the Hyuuga instinctively snapped her eyes shut, arms flying out in hopes of catching herself, but it wasn't necessary.

Someone from the crowd had graciously reached out and caught the indigo-haired damsel. An arm was securely wrapped around Hinata's middle and she opened her pale eyes. The arm's owner was a tanned, spiky yellow blonde, with radiant blue eyes, and a dumbstruck expression.

_Oh no!_

"Hinata-chan?"

"N-N-N-N-N-N—"

"Hinata-san!"

In a daze, the Hyuuga was pulled from the blonde's arms and her face was buried into Kakuzu's chest. Hinata's shaky fingers latched onto his shirt, her lips were trembling. The sound of pounding reached the Hyuuga's ears and she knew her heart was going to explode if she let go.

"Ano, Hinata-san, what's wrong?" questioned Kakuzu, his voice lathered with discomfort. When Hinata refused to answer, he tried, "D-did you know that guy?"

The girl's indigo head bobbed in response.

The dark-skinned man gulped, a heat rising under his skin. He never had much experience with women. In fact he had never been so close to one in his life after birth. Hinata was innocently crossing a very bold line for Kakuzu.

Awkwardly, he patted the Hyuuga's back. It seemed like the appropriate response, a gesture of sorts to make her feel better. The reaction it evoked was not what he was expecting. Hinata threw her arms around Kakuzu's middle, saying,

"Arigato, Kakuzu-kun."

The Hyuuga pulled away, taking a step back. There was an appreciative smile stretched over her features. It was a smile that could soften the hardest of hearts, even a money-loving Akatsuki member's. Out of his element, Kakuzu gruffly said,

"Pein's probably waiting."

Nervously, the indigo-haired nodded, allowing the boy to lead her to the Akatsuki leader.

When they approached the table, Hinata felt the urge to turn tail and run. Pein was there, his eyes focused on the Hyuuga. A wicked smile was playing on the orange-haired man's lips as he took a sip from his water bottle.

As the pair came to a stop, Pein spoke first.

"Bunny-chan, come sit next to me," requested the leader of the group, waiting expectantly. He beckoned her towards him with his index finger, curling it slowly inwards. The Hyuuga nodded, reluctantly leaving Kakuzu's side to join Pein on the bench.

When Hinata came around the table and took her seat an arm wrapped around her middle. Said arm tugged the bunny into Pein's side. The man smirked down at her, enjoying the sight of the Hyuuga's violent blush.

"Good, Bunny-chan," he praised, teasing her. The orange-haired boy's arm was still firmly fastened around Hinata's waist, and he planned to keep it there. As his fingertips retracted, tracing over her creamy stomach, the Hyuuga felt her skin prickle.

In hopes of calming her anxiety and saving herself the embarrassment of fainting again, Hinata directed her snow white eyes to the other members seated around the table.

Directly on Pein's right was Konan. The blue-haired girl had her shoulders occupied by Pein's arm, which was draped lazily around her. The golden-eyed senior was munching a bag of Doritos, daintily reaching into the contents of the plastic wrapping to occasionally retrieve a chip. She seemed disinterested with both Pein and the chips, rarely glancing up from her own hands.

On Konan's other side was Kisame, who was talking animatedly across the table with Itachi. The Uchiha was either stoically absorbing the conversation, or completely blocking it out. His only reply was a grunt that sounded like 'Hn'. Hinata got the strangest feeling that Itachi appeared to be annoyed or depressed about something. The Uchiha was most definitely ignoring Konan as well and the indigo-haired girl wondered what was wrong. When Itachi's coal black sphere's drifted Hinata's direction, the Uchiha smiled at her.

After returning the smile, the Hyuuga moved on down the line of Akatsuki members. Tobi was in the middle of an elongated tale of what happened during his fifth period, relaying every detail to a very bored looking Zetsu. Kakuzu seemed to be half listening to the story that Tobi was reciting, having little to no interest in the young boy's words.

Hinata's shoulders stiffened as she felt a tug on her indigo hair. Pein's arm had moved from her waist to her head, playing with her soft locks. The Hyuuga practically jumped when she felt the leader of Akatsuki nip at her ear. Her hand flew to her lips, holding back whatever sound was itching to come out. She wasn't sure if was a gasp, yelp, or a scream, but she keep it down skillfully.

Entertained by the bunny's reaction, Pein inwardly chuckled. All he had done was bite the cartilage of the alabaster-eyed girl's ear and her composure was shattered. The Akatsuki leader was going to continue his assault when he caught Itachi glaring daggers at him. Grinning cruelly at the Uchiha, Pein pulled Konan's head against his chest and nuzzled his cheek in Hinata's vanilla scented hair.

Akatsuki's leader was well aware of Itachi's feelings and fully enjoyed flaunting what he had and the Uchiha didn't. It was pompous, childish, and something Pein did frequently.

Unable to witness the display before him any longer, Itachi abruptly rose to his feet. After a quick word to Kisame, the Uchiha stormed out of the cafeteria. In the raven-haired boy's absence, Kisame started up a conversation with Pein.

"So, what do we have planned for today?" asked the blue Akatsuki member.

The leader of their gang thought for a moment and replied, "Well, there isn't much going on at the moment. I have Hidan sorting out a few things, but aside from that I don't have any jobs to be done."

"Things have been pretty slow lately," commented Konan, looking up from her manicure for one of the first times since Hinata had arrived. The friction the blue-haired girl was previously causing in the atmosphere evaporated and she began chatting with Kisame for the last few minutes of lunch.

Hinata was relieved when the bell for seventh period sounded. She practically ran away from Pein with only a quick 'see you later'. The Hyuuga went straight to the gym, actually thankful to dress down. It meant 45 minutes she didn't have to wear the ridiculous outfit Pein got her.

In shorts and a T-shirt, the indigo-haired girl exited the locker room and wandered out into the gym. There were different groups of kids scattered about and Asuma-sensei was currently speaking with a student.

Glancing around nervously, the Hyuuga spotted an Inuzuka hanging off the rim of the basketball hoop. Recognizing someone, she made a beeline for him. As Kiba dangled in the air he caught a glimpse of indigo heading his way.

"Hinata-chan! Hey!" he called out, releasing his hold of the metal rim. Dropping to the ground he dashed towards the Hyuuga girl, beaming uncontrollably.

"H-hey," greeted Hinata shyly.

Then there was a whistle and Asuma shouted, "Everybody, circle up!"

The cliques broke rank and became a mass seated on the floor before the PE teacher. Kiba had secured the open space on the Hyuuga's left, while Sasuke swooped in and sat down at her right.

"Hinata-san?" whispered the raven-haired boy.

The girl in question still remembered very clearly the last time they had conversed, ending with her calling him a 'jerk' and storming out. She did not regret what she'd said, but at the same time she was sorry for her inappropriate reaction. A lady, especially a Hyuuga lady, should have more manners and class.

"What?" she whispered back, willing to hear what he had to say.

Coal black eyes roamed the floor around the manicured fingers of the Hyuuga at his side. The Uchiha was somewhat ashamed for upsetting Hinata the previous day, it wasn't what he'd intended to happen. He was only trying to warn her, for her own sake. Still, he could see where he had gone wrong.

"I'm, well, I-"

"Uchiha, Hyuuga, quiet down," commanded Asuma-sensei, trying to explain the day's lesson.

"Gomen," apologized the embarrassed girl, her cheeks warming with her name's mention. Every time she was addressed, eyes from her fellow classmates were drawn to her. It was humiliating. Her white orbs drifted to the court's golden-brown planks.

Not discouraged in the least, Sasuke tried again. "Hinata-san?"

Unsure whether to answer or not, fearing a scolding, the indigo-haired girl glanced over at the boy vying for her attention.

"Look, I'm-"

"Alright, Uchiha! You and the little lady can finish your conversation _outside_! You can return to class when you're finished!" shouted the gym teacher, fed up with side conversations in his class. Asuma

Even further disgraced Hinata rose to her feet and practically ran out of the gymnasium, Sasuke hurried after her feeling even more like a jerk for getting her in trouble. The girl's long dark hair trailed after her as the Hyuuga dashed around the corner, escaping from her trailer's line of sight.

"Hinata-san!" the Uchiha called after her, hoping that she'd stop. He ran around the bend and came to an abrupt stop. His ebony eyes landed on the girl he was chasing curled in a ball, on the cement, leaning against the gym wall.

The Hyuuga's face was hidden against her creamy-colored arms, holding her knees close to her center. Her figure was quaking slightly and Sasuke knew why. She was silently sobbing.

"I'm sorry," he finally managed to get out. Taking a step closer to the weeping girl he continued, "I'm sorry for making you cry, I'm sorry for being a jerk, I'm sorry for what happened the other day, I'm sorry for sticking my nose in your business, and I'm sorry that I got you in trouble. I'm sorry for everything, okay?"

Hinata listened to his list of apologies and felt stupid. She was getting worked up over nothing again. She was so _weak_.

"I-it's n-n-not your f-fault," she whispered almost inaudibly. Lifting her head up, revealing her face from beneath her rich purple hair, she wiped the tears from her pale features. Her translucent gaze rose to meet Sasuke's for a moment before shifting to her palms. "I d-do this to my-myself. I'm so weak and I always es-escalate situations. I'm just a-a big b-baby." Her two hands clenched into fists.

The Uchiha sighed. He was relived that she wasn't mad at him, but also unsure what to do in the current circumstance. The raven-haired boy thought for a second, trying to pull something useful from his brain to give him some guidance.

"Well, I know that you're not a baby," he stated firstly, taking a seat beside the Hyuuga girl on the ground. She glanced at him curiously, finding that his eyes were directed straight ahead, not even looking at her at all. That gave her some comfort.

"I've known you all my life, sort of. I never really got to know you, but I know that you're strong. If you were weak, then you wouldn't have stood up to me. And if you were a baby, then you wouldn't try to befriend the Akatsuki. You can't look at things like they're half-empty, or whatever."

There was a small giggle following Sasuke's pep talk that caused him to look at the indigo-haired girl next to him with puzzlement. She was smiling brightly at him.

"Arigato, Sasuke-san," she thanked him. He plunged into his speech without a clue, but it managed to make sense to Hinata and she was very grateful. He'd cheered her up considerably.

A faint glimmer of pink brushed over the raven-haired boy as he asked, "Ready to go back to class?"

The Hyuuga nodded, her gentle smile brightening the very air around her.

When they returned to class, Asuma had finished going over the day's schedule. First, they would be stretching out, then running a lap around the track, and finishing with a quick game of soccer on the field.

With another blow of Asuma's whistle, Hinata followed Kiba to an open space on the court. Sasuke was once again sitting out from the lesson and broke off from the rest of the group to sit in the bleachers. While the class was stretching the raven-haired boy gave the Hyuuga a wave when she glanced in his direction, evoking a deep blush to make itself at home on the shy girl's face. Kiba teased her about it as they pulled their arms across their chest to workout the muscle.

Next, they moved onto the running portion of the lesson. Hinata was never a strong runner, but she had perseverance. In the back of the pack, the indigo-haired girl tried her very best to finish her lap. Kiba, who was a gifted athlete, chose to jog slowly along side the Hyuuga. He encouraged her as they went, seeing that she clearly had no stamina. The only people behind them were Shikamaru Nara and Chouji Akimichi. The pair of friends were walking at a snails pace, completely indifferent to the invectives Asuma was shouting at them.

Once everyone reached the finish line four team captains were chosen to pick teams. One of the captains was Kiba and his first choice was Hinata, turning her already reddened face a shade of violet. Aside from the petite Hyuuga, Kiba picked a team he deemed worthy. They easily creamed the opposition without Hinata even moving from her spot at the field's edge. She had tried to play at first, but her fear got the best of her when someone attempted to take the ball from her.

The final whistle blew just as Kiba scored his eighth goal, bringing the final score to 17-10. The Inuzuka cheered, running straight to Hinata. Even though he almost single handedly won the game the only approval he was searching for was from the gentle Hyuuga.

"You were g-great, Kiba-kun!" appraised the indigo-haired girl. After sharing a PE class with the brunette boy for the passed several years she was already aware of his abilities. Still, she was genuinely impressed with his display.

Grinning proudly at her response, the Inuzuka slung his arm around Hinata's shoulders and nonchalantly said, "It was nothing."

Blushing cutely, the Hyuuga giggled. It made Kiba's heart do a little dance in his chest, feeling the same sense of accomplishment he'd experienced before. The girl at his side was very slowly getting used to physical contact and with Kiba it seemed natural. The two of them walked like this up to the gym until they had to part into the separate locker rooms.

Forcing herself back into the costume was a challenge for Hinata. When she lifted up the tiny pieces of cloth that the indigo-haired girl had been wearing for the duration of the day, her nose wrinkled in disgust. Only the thought of Pein catching her without it, persuaded her into the beast.

Glancing at her reflection brought out the Hyuuga's signature blush. She looked so-so _scandalous_.

The sight of Hidan's jacket tucked away safely in her locker gave her a small bit of relief. Hinata slipped it on over her outfit, letting the overall size cover some of her milky skin. Once she was fully dressed, the Hyuuga snatched up her bag and made her way back into the gymnasium.

A certain Inuzuka was waiting for her at the door with his wolfy grin. He was greatly impressed with the sight of her slender legs walking in his direction. As she approached him, the brunette asked, "So, Hinata-chan, what're you doing today?"

"Well, f-first, I have to go pick up H-Hanabi-chan," stated the Hyuuga. "And then. . ." She tried to recall what else she had planned for the day. Well, she had wanted to return to Deidara's to visit him for a bit.

The indigo-haired girl's pale cheeks suddenly burned red-hot as she remembered seeing said blonde without a shirt on earlier that morning. She hadn't really had time to really appreciate the nice tone his body had. His muscles were very nicely shaped too…

_D-d-don't be th-thinking of th-that n-n-now! _She inwardly screamed, seeing the look of bewilderment on Kiba's features.

"I-I-I'm g-going to visit a f-friend of mine," the blushing girl finished off hurriedly. Her snowy white eyes trailed down to the floor.

In her head she was chanting, _Calm down. Calm down. Calm down._

There was disappointment in Kiba's smile as he said, "Oh. Well, maybe-"

"Hey, Hyuuga, you're blocking the door!" complained Ino Yamanaka. The blonde was standing beside them, her hand on her hip, looking put-off. Sakura Haruno was on her left, appearing to be equally annoyed with her arms crossed over her flat chest.

"Sorry, _Ice Princess_," grumbled the Inuzuka, rolling his chocolate orbs at her. He took a side step out of her way, pretending to bow.

'Ice Princess' was a title Ino received from Kiba in middle school. The name was only fitting, concluded the brunette. The Yamanaka had always been loud and bossy growing up, but then she just got plain wicked.

Snidely, Ino returned the eye roll as she strode passed him. Sakura followed after her best friend, her emerald eyes narrowed fiercely on the meek girl at Kiba's side. In the pinkette's opinion, the Hyuuga girl didn't look like anything special. She was the same shy little girl from middle school, just in less clothing. Tearing her down should be easy, she determined, smirking openly.

The malicious glimmer in Sakura's eyes sent shivers down Hinata's spine. The pink-haired girl almost scared her as much as Pein did. Maybe they were related somehow?

"Jeez, I'm sick of those girls," sighed the Inuzuka exhaustedly. Then he turned his attention back to Hinata, finding that Sasuke had gravitated towards them.

"Um, Hinata-san," started the Uchiha, coming to a stop between the two, "Itachi-nii wanted to know if you would like a ride to pick up Hanabi-san?"

"Oh, that w-would be very kind! Arig-g-gato, Sasuke-san," gushed the blushing girl. She knew that Hanabi would be pleased to see Itachi as well. The middleschooler had always had a slight crush on their cousin. Whenever the Uchiha and Hyuuga held joint family functions, the littlest Hyuuga would seek out her favorite Uchiha. Hinata could never blame her, Itachi was the pride of the Uchiha after all.

Kiba's soft brown eyes scrutinized Sasuke, jealousy clouding his judgment. Sure the two of them were chummy towards each other, but they weren't exactly friends either. Though he couldn't see his feelings for what they were, the brunette had the notion that the Uchiha next to him might be his rival for the kindhearted Hyuuga.

Ebony orbs connected with an intense gaze from the Inuzuka. The Uchiha hadn't a clue what had him riled up, but it wasn't his problem to deal with either. Disregarding the strange look, Sasuke glanced at Hinata. The shy girl seemed to have cheered up considerably. It was a huge relief that she'd forgiven him.

"Itachi-nii said that he'll meet us at the front of the school," he continued, starting off in the direction of the double doors. The alabaster-eyed Hyuuga followed him out, saying her goodbye to Kiba as she went.

Once at the Konoha High School entrance, the two freshmen scanned the heads for their ride. A familiar car horn turned Sasuke's head and he found his brother's van in the front parking lot. They hurried off towards the vehicle, finding a small crowd gathered around it. Tobi, Kisame, and-to Hinata's discomfort-Konan were all conversing on the passenger side. Kisame was already situated in the seat beside his Uchiha friend. Tobi and Konan appeared to be bickering about something inaudible and Kisame was playing mediator.

"What's going on, Itachi-nii?" inquired the younger Uchiha, frowning, and showing his detestation for his brother's friends. The miniature group huddle disbanded and turned to look at the newest arrivals.

From the driver seat, the elder of the brothers replied, "It's nothing, Sasuke." He waved his hand flippantly, before addressing the others, "I'll call you later, Konan. Tobi, get in the back with Hinata-san and Sasuke."

"Tobi-chan will," agreed the boy happily. He took Hinata's hand, tugging her towards the rear end of the car, and proceeded to say, "Come on, Hina-chan, Sasuke-kun! Bye, bye, Konan-chan!"

The blue-haired senior made a sound like "humph," and sauntered off without a goodbye. Something had definitely aggravated her, but none of them really knew what it was. She'd strode up to them out of nowhere and coaxed Kisame into an argument. Then poor Tobi had innocently tried to calm her down, and the golden-eyed feminist had pounced on the unsuspecting child. If there was one thing Konan was known for it was her mood swings.

Once the three freshmen settled into their seats, Itachi backed out of his parking space. Avoiding the harmless bystanders, the van rolled safely into the street.

xXxXxXx

Ano, was that okay? I feel like this chapter was more of a struggle than it should've been . . .

**I thank everyone who, read, alerted, favorited, reviewed, and messaged me. **I went back and read all your lovely comments and it gave me the power to sit down and type all this up! You inspired me! (:

So, until next time. Leave a review and tell me your thoughts. If there's something you'd like me to add or a couple you like specifically, go ahead and ask for it. It truly helps me write and I may be able to accommodate you!

_Peace&Love, RainingSprinklesDownMyThroat._


	11. Chapter TEN

**Disclaimer**: Naruto is in no way my property.

**Quick Author's Note**: To start off, I hate this chapter. I've rewritten it a total of four times.

I feel like it's CRAP, but I need to move on with this. Otherwise I won't be getting anywhere. So, I'm sorry.

_**Also, the poll results are displayed on my profile now. **_

**Warning for this chapter**: There will be mentions of an illegal substance a.k.a. marijuana.

.xXxXxXx.

The group of high school students had successfully departed from the front lot and were making their way up the road. Simultaneously, a polite conversation was struck up by Kisame, in the attempting to keep the ride civil. Following, the teens chatted about their day, school, plans, and the like.

Unfortunately, Sasuke was like a black cloud of broodiness the entire time. When his mouth opened it was generally to address Hinata or grunt indignantly. It was clear that he found the dark-haired boy annoying and Kisame was pleasant, but still Akatsuki. It wasn't like he had to be nice to them simply because of the presence of a naïve and trusting Hyuuga. As far as the raven-haired Uchiha was concerned, the thuggish gang was merely a hindrance. Speaking with them at all was a waste of breath.

The mood in the vehicle took a sharp turn towards icy when Tobi innocently announced,

"Tobi is going over to Deidara-sempai's right now!"

"Oh?" squeaked the indigo-haired girl, wrapping Hidan's jacket tighter around her figure. The zipper had broken so it continuously slid open to expose her midriff if she wasn't attentive to it.

"Yep!" Tobi chirped, an eager grin forming at the prospect of seeing his favorite sempai. Seriously, to the freshman the blonde was like his idol. "Does Hina-chan want to go with Tobi?"

The indigo-haired girl slowly nodded, responding, "H-hai. I wanted t-to hangout f-for a bit more today."

Even though she'd broken school rules, Hinata was somewhat pleased by the turn of events her actions had brought her. She'd been granted the opportunity to spend time with Hidan, Deidara, Sasori, and Kakuzu. Inch by inch she was becoming closer to everyone.

"Oh, then can you bring Deidara this?" requested Kisame, digging into his backpack. Retrieving a two textbooks and a ½" binder, he passed them over to Hinata. "It's his schoolwork, I picked it up from the main office."

"Oh, s-sure," she agreed, taking the small stack into her arms. Slyly her white orbs glanced cautiously at Sasuke, discovering that as the Hyuuga had presumed: he was frowning disapprovingly. Awkwardly, she plucked a strand of midnight purple hair from the side of her head and tucked it away behind her ear. It was her signature attempt to calm herself.

Pausing at the next stop sign, Itachi glimpsed into the back from the mirror. He knew that Sasuke was causing Hinata unnecessary upset, for a second time. It disappointed him that his baby brother couldn't treat the situation with a little more consideration and tact. The elder Uchiha would gladly offer him advice, but the resentment held in Sasuke's heart made it impossible to get through to him.

"Sasuke, I'll drop you off at home first," resolved the stoic Uchiha, turning onto his own street. It would be easier for the moment to remove the problem, rather than attempt to fix it. In this incident, Sasuke was the problem, so naturally he had to go.

Impassively, the raven-haired freshman agreed. He was aware that his company was unwanted and he didn't wish to be among them either. Sasuke would have preferred to be around Hinata for a little longer; however, his contempt for his brother's friends had him opening the backdoor before the black van had stopped.

As the breaks softly screeched, Sasuke hopped out.

"See you tomorrow, Hinata-san."

"Bye, S-Sasuke-san!"

Without acknowledging the others, the door slammed shut. In his wake, the atmosphere was shrouded with lingering animosity and abhor. No one ever blamed Sasuke for being subtle. If he was unhappy, the young teen expressed it directly or indirectly.

As they continued on, the car's disposition gradually softened until making the full 180.

"So, I'll drop the pair of you off at Deidara's next," announced Itachi, referring to the remaining passengers in the back.

"What ab-b-bout Hanabi-chan?" inquired the Hyuuga, always keeping her little sister in the back of her mind. She tugged at the jacket again, holding it together at the chest.

The driver fondly replied, "She'd asked me to have a play date with her the last time she came over. I thought I'd surprise her."

The indigo-haired girl grinned, inwardly praising Itachi's generosity. He was giving her the opportunity to hangout and have fun, all the while entertaining her sister. It was a win-win situation for the Hyuuga siblings.

At Deidara's house, the car came to a halt once more. This time, Tobi got up and opened the door for them to exit.

"Arigato, Itachi-s-sempai! B-bye, Kisame-kun!" stuttered the cheery girl, stepping down onto the pavement. Tobi was right behind her, spouting off his own thanks. Apparently Obito was going on the play date as well. Hinata wondered how well that was going to go with another Uchiha in the mix, as she watched the car speed away from the curb.

Together, the freshmen walked up to the door. This was the Hyuuga's second time showing up at the Iwa household that day, yet there was still a bundle of nerves that told her she was anxious. Tobi rang the doorbell twice and they waited for a moment.

From within, they heard a woman's voice shout, "Dei! Deidara! Deidara, get the fucking door!"

"Alright, yeah!" was the aggravated response. A clatter of footsteps followed, pausing at the door, and then the barrier was opened, revealing an annoyed looking Deidara.

"Deidara-sempai!" squealed Tobi in delight, attempting to throw his arms around the blonde. His plan was thwarted by the Iwa's quick retaliation, a blow to the head. "Owww~"

"Baka!" insulted Deidara, slightly fuming. The last person he wanted to see was the kid who idolized him. His rage hurriedly died down when crystal blue eyes connected with Hinata. "Oh, Hinata-chan." A smile washed away the anger from his features as he welcomed them in, Tobi included.

"H-hello again, Deidara-kun," muttered the Hyuuga, blushing slightly.

After telling his mother that it was just his friends and demanding that she not bother them, the three of them marched up the stairs.

After reaching the top step, the group entered Deidara's bedroom. It was no real surprise to find Sasori laying perpendicular on the bed, his head hanging over the edge. There were a pair of gaudy looking headphones covering his ears, the thick band that connected them were partly hidden by his red locks that were reaching for the carpet, showing off his pale forehead. The Akasuna's eyes were closed and he didn't even notice them reenter the room.

Noticing the tranquility of his best friend, Deidara slammed the door shut behind him. Two reddish-brown orbs snapped open, focusing instantly on the new presences in the room. Reaching up to remove one side of his headphones, Sasori acknowledged Hinata and Tobi with an appropriate,

"What's up?"

"Tobi got to ride all the way here with Hinata-chan!" boasted the teenager proudly, bounding towards the bed. The dark-haired boy hopped onto the mattress, causing Sasori's body to bounce slightly.

An unnoticed glare was sent the Uchiha's way from a certain blonde. Deidara never invited Tobi to his house, but the boy always arrived there anyways. Sometimes the Iwa didn't even bother opening the door to allow him entrance. Today was an exception though, since Hinata was with him. Deidara would feel like a total asshole only letting the pretty girl in, she probably wouldn't have appreciated it either. For some odd reason, the Hyuuga liked Tobi's excessively annoying personality.

"H-have you been h-here all d-day?" Hinata asked curiously, taking a seat in the same spinney chair that Kakuzu had previously occupied that morning. Testing the swivel feature, the dark purple-haired girl pushed the seat one way and then the other using her weight and feet. It brought up fond memories of her childhood, playing with Hanabi on her father's office chair.

"Yea," he replied, pulling himself up, using the bed sheets to do so. Then the redhead turned around, sitting cross-legged. He leaned on his palm, elbow resting on his knee, feeling somewhat lightheaded from his head hanging upside-down. The music blasting in his right ear was not exactly helpful, so he removed that side as well. The headphones hung casually around his neck now like a decoration.

Seeing that Tobi was just a little too excited at the prospect of sitting on the bed with Deidara, the blonde respectfully took his own seat on the floor, leaning his back against the wooden dresser. Light blue eyes flickered between the three other people posted in the Iwa's bedroom.

"So, what do ya' guys wanna do, yeah?" Deidara asked his guests. He and Sasori usually just sat around, did guy things, and other such activities. But, he wasn't sure if Hinata wanted to do that kind of stuff. However, he couldn't care less what Tobi wanted to do.

"I'm hungry," complained the Akasuna, his eyes turning to the sole female. "How about you, Hinata-kun?"

Uncomfortable with the subject, the Hyuuga flushed. "A-ano, a l-little."

Tobi was the first to move, leaping off the bed and onto his feet. He volunteered, "Tobi will get Hina-chan some food!"

"Want anything?" Sasori asked his best friend, the redhead was already standing.

The blonde shook his head, saying, "Nah." With that Sasori followed Tobi downstairs to where the kitchen resided, leaving Hinata and Deidara alone for the first time. It made the shy Hyuuga a bit nervous. She readjusted the rabbit ears stationed atop her head, feeling the band slipping slightly.

"So, Hinata-chan, how long are you hanging out for?" inquired the Iwa, his full attention now on the blushing girl.

Taking into consideration that her father would be displeased if she was extremely late, the indigo-haired girl responded, "Ano, a-around f-five o' clock. I have t-to make dinner to-n-night."

"You cook?" asked the blonde interestedly.

The Hyuuga nodded, a small frown appearing on her face. "I d-do, everyday. Since, my m-mom's no l-longer around it's up t-to me to t-take care of every-b-body."

Curious, Deidara asked, "Where's your mom, yeah?"

"Sh-she died."

"Oh."

Well, that made things a bit awkward.

The Iwa wasn't sure exactly what to say next. '_That sucks' _or '_I'm sorry' _didn't seem suitable. She's probably heard them both a million times. If he'd lost someone and anyone ever told him, _'I'm sorry for your loss' _he'd probably punch them. What good are empty words like those? People like Hinata weren't looking for sympathy or pity when they spoke of a deceased loved one. Seriously, the poor girl probably had received enough to last her a life time.

"Oh!" squeaked the pale-eyed girl, grabbing her school bag. She reached within and began digging in it's contents as she was reminded, "Kisame-k-kun, wanted m-me to give you th-these."

Seeing that it was his homework, the blonde was entirely disappointed. A look of discontent was writing all over his face as he forced out a, "Thanks, he _really _shouldn't have." Slipping the thin stack of school work under his bed, the blonde smiled sheepishly. "Let's not mention this in front of Sasori, yeah?"

Slightly confused, Hinata agreed. The Hyuuga could only assume that the redhead had different views on studying and school than that of his best friend.

"_Deidara_!" yelled a familiar female's voice.

Irritated, the boy in question jumped up and shouted back from the doorway, "What do you want, yeah!"

"Get down here right _now_!" ordered Deidara's mother, her anger was carried upstairs with her words.

Frowning, the blonde turned to Hinata and said, "Gomen, I'll be back in a minute." Then he marched out of the room to go see what the hell the devil woman wanted now. It was always one demand after another.

Sitting alone in Deidara's room, the Hyuuga wondered why the Iwa family were at each other's throats. It was strange for the indigo-haired girl to witness such a relationship with one's parents. If she ever spoke out like that towards Hiashi, she would surely be punished.

Her thoughts were interrupted by the sound of hurried footsteps and Tobi burst into the room with a plate full of brownies.

"Look what Tobi found! Does Hina-chan like brownies?"

The Hyuuga nodded. "Hai. Ari-g-gato, Tobi-chan." Happily she reached out and took one of the delicious treats. As she took a bite, the indigo-haired girl found they had a different kind of flavor. It wasn't what she was accustomed to, but the girl ate it nonetheless. Not wishing to feel like a glutton, it was the only one that she consumed. While Tobi contently ate the other three and left the plate on the floor next to the bedpost.

"Wh-where's S-Sasori-kun?" wondered Hinata aloud, realizing that he hadn't returned yet.

Laying out on the bed, the Uchiha replied, "Making pizza bagels. Hina-chan want any?"

"N-no, I'm fine," decided the Hyuuga, smiling gratefully at her dark-haired friend. Inquiring further, she asked, "I-is Deidara-kun in troub-b-ble?"

Tobi's one visible coal eye dropped to the floor and his lips pressed together in a firm line. He was inwardly debating how to respond to that question, settling with, "Deidara-sempai's Kaa-san is a little moody, but Tobi doesn't think so."

Relief swept through the indigo-haired girl, she didn't want any of her friends to get into trouble. Which is why she was really worried about Deidara, especially since he actually did something that would get him put into juvenile hall. That made the Hyuuga wonder just what was going on in that sunny-yellow head of his. He blew up a defenseless ramen shop for goodness sake. Deidara was so reckless.

After a short while, the blonde and Sasori returned. The Akasuna bore pizza bagels and the Iwa a scowl.

"Wh-what hap-p-pened?" stuttered the Hyuuga, looking worried.

With a dismissive wave, Deidara bitterly muttered, "Doesn't matter, yeah."

Leaving at that, the teens turned on the TV that was seated on Deidara's desk and hooked up an XBOX 360. Sasori put on Nazi Zombies and let the killing frenzy begin. He and his best friend were very skilled and worked well together, while Tobi and his sempai had horrible teamwork, and the dark-haired boy and Sasori worked decently enough. Hinata opted to watch them play, before trying it herself.

As the boys put bullets into undead pixels on the TV screen the indigo-haired girl started to feel a little different. Her head felt light and sorta' hazy. She found herself completely zoned out staring at the game before her colorless eyes.

"Your turn Hinata-chan," said Deidara, passing her the controller. Then he explained which buttons to push, finding that she had never played videogames in her life. Sasori was her teammate this round.

When the game started up and the Hyuuga blasted her first zombie in the face she found it comical. She giggled to herself, shooting it once more. As the game progressed, the indigo-haired girl chuckled when she died. Tobi had joined her, laughing when Sasori finally got killed and the game ended.

"That was f-fun," giggled Hinata, her hand covering her mouth politely. She hadn't expected such a scary looking game to be so humorous. She handed the remote over to Tobi. Then he and Sasori started the next round.

"I'm kinda' h-hungry," she stated, feeling her stomach growl with the palm of her hand.

Deidara was the one to offer to get her something to eat this time, since the other two were engaged already. Eyes glued to the television, the Hyuuga moved onto the bed. Her eyes were feeling heavy and she was slowly getting more and more tired. Laying her head on the soft fluffy pillow, she decided to rest her eyes a moment.

By the time Deidara got back upstairs, Hinata had passed out on the mattress. Since it was his bed, he simply pushed her legs out of the way and sat at the edge. He wondered why she was so exhausted, thinking that school must have been tough. Glancing at her bare legs, he could tell why. Sasori informed him that she'd been hounded by guys all day. It made him somewhat jealous, knowing that a lot of guys would be vying for her attention.

Peering over the edge of his bed, blue eyes landed on an empty plate that had once sported brownies. That meant. . .

"Tobi! You ate my special brownies!" complained the blonde angrily, but quietly enough as to not awake Hinata.

This only caused the Uchiha to burst out laughing, holding his sides as he did. "Ohhh! That's why Hina-chan was acting funny."

Incredulous, Sasori turned on the young boy instantly, demanding, "You fed Hinata-kun _special _brownies?"

Feeling the killer intent through both of the sophomore's glares, Tobi whined, "Tobi didn't know! Don't be mad at Tobi!"

Deidara sighed, muttering, "Baka, yeah." Then he looked back at the sleeping Hyuuga and chuckled. No wonder she'd been acting strangely, she had had the giggles. He'd let her sleep it off.

.xXxXxXx.

**AN**:

Yes. I got Hina-chan high.

They are highschoolers and in a ruthless _gang_. There won't be a _severe_ use of alcohol and drug abuse in this fic, but it won't be completely overlooked either. I'm not turning Hinata into a druggie or anything, but she will "experiment". It's rated T so these concepts shouldn't be anything new. If you have a problem with this, feel free to let me know.

**On another note here are some questions I've been asked:**

Zetsubel asked me who I want to be Hinata-chan's boyfriend more. And the answer is: ALL OF THEM. I never know where me writing leads me pairing wise. Though I will tell you the top 5 contenders at this moment are: Hidan, Itachi, Pein, Sasori and Deidara. (BUT they can and might change)

XxVioletAshesxX asked if Konan is mad at Hinata and the answer is: no. However, she _is_ very pissed at a select few individuals and the reason will be revealed with time.

ppeach2 brought up the pairing HakuHina which will be added at a later date. I want Hinata to get used to interacting with the Akatsuki before moving onto all the other Naruto characters.

**Thank you to everyone who's been reviewing and reading! **

**I love to hear your opinions, constructive criticism, favorite parts, pairings you like, and any ideas that can help me out plot wise.**

**So, please keep reviewing and sending messages. I don't really reply to reviews, but I always answer messages if you'd like to talk. **

**Thanks again. Until next time!**

**-**_RainingSprinklesDownMyThroat._


	12. Chapter 11

**Disclaimer**: Nope, Naruto STILL isn't mine.

**AN:** I'm actually updating! And quickly! Being grounded in summer gives me some time to write. Hope everyone else is enjoying their summers!

No warnings for this one, very PG.

_.xXxXxXx._

The rest of the previous afternoon had been rather miserable. Wednesday morning, Neji had witnessed his cousin being "kidnapped" and reported it to his uncle immediately. The police were notified and they traced the van back to their relative, Itachi. When this bit of information had been unveiled, Hiashi called the highschooler in search of his misplaced daughter to learn that she'd been "dropped off at a friend's" after school.

Naturally, when the missing Hyuuga turned up a touch before dinner was to be prepared, without the bunny suit that she'd cleverly stashed in the bushes outside, her father had a few choice words for the girl. A long lecture later and Hinata was knee deep in unwarranted trouble. She would not to be permitted to hangout after school for quite some time and her chores doubled. The girl's father had even ordered that Neji and Hanabi not acknowledge her presence in the household that evening as extra punishment.

That deserted a forlorn Hinata sobbing soundlessly in her darkened room for the duration of the night; crying herself into a restless sleep.

Plaguing her dreams, the menacing glint in Pein's ever entrancing silver eyes had made a guest appearance. A voice of velvet whispered unkind sentiments and tormented the Hyuuga as her body jerked and turned unconsciously under the covers. Her eyelids snapped open and she awoke masked in a cold sweat. Not the greatest morning.

Starting the day, the freshman adorned her figure in a pair of pale-purple short-shorts with large black buttons decorating the sides of the pockets, a bright yellow baby tee with a tiny light purple heart on the left breast, and lilac high knee socks. Her hair was left down with a small sun-colored bow clipped to the right side of her indigo-colored head.

When the Hyuuga exited her house she found an unfamiliar vehicle rumbling to life in front of her house. It was a sleek, metallic, silver Ferrari 360 Modena. On the driver's side, the window was rolled down and resting his arm's on the frame was the very last individual Hinata had wanted to see that morning. Pein.

Taking a hard gulp, the purple-haired girl marched up to the silver car. The orange-haired driver was grinning smugly as he watched her approach with appraising eyes.

"O-o-ohaiy-y-yo," Hinata stuttered nervously, her milky-white eyes flickering to the windowpane just over her shoulder. She prayed dearly her father, or anyone else from her household, weren't watching the exchange from behind the glass.

"Hey there," he greeted her, in a friendly manner. Lifting his arms from the window's opening, Pein leaned back into the leather interior. Next, the senior commanded her more forcefully, "Get in the car. I'm driving you to school." His smile dropped into a firm steely line and his fingers impatiently rapped against the steering wheel. His dueling attitudes were nearly as opposing as Zetsu's defined double-personas.

"H-h-hai," she inaudibly agreed, her head hanging low as she solemnly trudged around the flashy vehicle. Slipping into the passenger seat the Hyuuga felt her entire body tense and heat. Whenever she was in the Akatsuki leader's presence she felt unnerved and awkward. Not to mention her speech impediment was painfully worsened around him and it was humiliating.

The ride was deathly silent and Hinata thought she was going to faint before ever arriving to Konoha High. Pein had wickedly placed his hand on her bare thigh and occasionally it would creep up her creamy skin, sending unintentional shivers coursing through the flushed Hyuuga. When she warily stole a glimpse at the driver's visage, she despondently frowned. The bastard was smirking at her displeasure.

As they pulled up to the school, Pein muttered absently with a dark chuckle, "Let's see if you can make it through today . . ." He gave her leg a gentle squeeze and she unwillingly yelped. "Your next task is to refer to everyone as 'Master' during school, understood?"

"H-hai, ano, M-M-Mast-t-ter," agreed the indigo-haired girl, stumbling over her words. The Hyuuga moped hopelessly for the remainder of the drive, receiving his statement as a bad omen. As if yesterday wasn't enough, there were going to be more degrading tasks to fulfill until she could be accepted into Akatsuki.

When the Ferrari stopped, the freshman made a run for it, literally. She wrenched the car door open, stammered, "S-s-see y-you, M-Master" and fled into the mass of students. As she escaped, the chilling sound of Pein's unrestrained laughter carried through the crowd after her retreating figure.

The Hyuuga only slowed once she'd gained a considerable distance inside the school building. Catching her breath, she leaned against a couple lockers on the first floor with her hand pressed firmly to her erratically hammering chest.

"Daijobu?"

Whipping her head in the direction of the voice, her alabaster eyes seemed to drown in two inquisitive sea foam green pools.

Snapping from her daze, Hinata nodded slowly as her expression brightened. "Ohaiyo, Gaara-chan. I'm f-fine." Immediately after the greeting left her lips, she remembered Pein's orders, quickly searching the passing students for any signs of Akatsuki. When she unearthed none, the girl visibly relaxed.

The redhead's expression twisted in a way that clearly displayed his skepticism, but let it slide. He had always allowed his best friend to hide whatever secrets she wanted swept under the rug. Troubling Hinata by forcing the truth out of her was almost too shameful when Gaara peered into her pure harmless alabaster orbs. Instead he changed the topic, seeing how she was enjoying her classes. She happily confessed that she really liked school thus far.

This conversation carried on into their first class of the day: 2nd period English. When Umino-sensei called on the Hyuuga and she called him "Master" the girl felt the urge to cry as the entire room stared at her like she was crazy. Which she probably seemed as such, considering she had just openly declared that she was her English teacher's slave.

Afterwards, the two freshmen advanced onto break as soon as Iruka dismissed them. Strolling down the halls of Konoha, they chatted about pointless things. The worry shrouded by Gaara's collected façade was effortlessly detected by Hinata and she did her best to thwart it, but the Sabaku kept his trained eyes glued to his best friend, analyzing her every action.

The Hyuuga adamantly refused to admit that the Akatsuki leader was harassing her because, if Gaara realized what was really going on, there was no way he'd allow her to join them. It wasn't a huge deal anyway; since, the ginger-haired senior was only toying with her. The girl was convinced that it was all an act so she would give up on becoming an Akatsuki member. Which she would not do.

Hinata was going to prove to everyone that she wasn't the same weak little girl anymore. She _had _to.

"Oh, F-Father got rath-ther upset w-with me yesterday," recalled the Hyuuga dolefully. "I'm ground-d for a while."

"I'll come over today then," settled the Sabaku, flashing his best friend a reassuring smile. Seriously, if Gaara didn't reserve his breathtaking smile for the Hyuuga heiress alone, the female population would fall for him left and right. "We'll work on that assignment Iruka-sensei gave us."

Beaming at the ever-considerate redhead, Hinata thanked him, "Arigato!" Unable to suppress the appreciation bubbling up in the pit of her abdomen, she threw her arms around his neck.

"Hinata-chan's . . . **boyfriend**?"

Startled by the familiar speech pattern, the girl flushed and hastily retracted herself from Gaara. When she turned towards the voice she discovered Zetsu with his head tilted towards his white side, considering his assumption. There was a glimmer of amusement in his golden orbs that proceeded to further embarrass the Hyuuga.

Red-faced, she stammered out, "G-G-Gaara-chan is m-my b-best fr-friend! N-not my b-b-boy-boy-"

The green-haired teenager extended his paper-white hand and dropped it on her soft indigo locks. An understanding, yet entertained, smile tugged at the left corner of his mouth. "I get it. **Don't hurt yourself**."

"H-h-hai, Mast-t-ter" she mumbled quietly so the redhead couldn't hear, pouting cutely. She hadn't spoken with the peculiar-skinned upperclassman much; since, the first time they'd met he'd successfully sent her to the nurses office before they got the chance. Shy Hinata was still trying to recover from that first encounter.

The white and black-skinned boy chuckled knowingly, but spared her additional turmoil and gave her a small wave with his dark hand. "Take care. **Bye**." Taking his leave, Zetsu disappeared down the corridor.

Gaara had opened his mouth to ask a question, one that was most likely along the lines of "Who was that?" but the bell had beat him to it and Hinata departed before he could try once more.

Abandoning the Sabaku to his dark thoughts. Increasingly, more guys were getting chummy to _his_ best friend. Their motives couldn't be pure, not like his. No, the Akatsuki's intentions had to be corrupted in some foul way because an evil band of hoodlums doesn't just prey upon an innocent girl for no reason. Gaara was going to figure out their objective and stop them at all costs. No one went after _his_ Hina-chan.

History began at a slow pace for the anxious Hyuuga. It felt as though impending doom was awaiting her at the end of the period. Lunch was an opportune chance to strike for the initiation tasks. Hinata used the time the class was taking notes to deliberate how to avoid any and all Akatsuki.

_. . . Girl's bathroom? No, that wouldn't work because Konan is a girl. . . An empty classroom? They'd search those. . . Where wouldn't they find me? A locker! Not there either. . . There's no where to hide in this school! _

The moderately distracted freshmen surrounding her, including the Inuzuka and Uchiha, constantly peeked up from their books with spiked interest as to why the girl next to them was violently yanking at the ends of her regalia-purple fringe and mumbling under her breath. She looked stressed about something. Then, without warning, her forehead collided with the surface of her desk and she let out a low groan.

Uncertainly, Sasuke and Kiba exchanged concerned glances, but remained mute for fear of Anko lashing out. The demon of a teacher had already singled out several students and her rage had only escaladed.

As class ended, Hinata gathered up her belongings and bolted from the room. Cautiously scanning the hallways with her ivory eyes as she went, the freshman hurried to her one and only safe haven: the library.

Inside the confines of her favorite study place, the midnight-haired girl made her way towards the back of the bookracks. In the very last row against the wall, Hinata lowered herself onto the carpet and exhaled in relief. If luck was with her, she'd go unnoticed. Turning her attention just down the row, a boy was sleeping with his arms cross behind his head.

Curiously, the freshman crawled across the floor to where he was slumbering. She recognized him easily enough from her middle school. Shikamaru Nara had always wore his medium-length charcoal brown hair pulled tightly into a ponytail at the top of his head. He wore a fitting gray T-shirt with teal circle patterns on the shoulders and loose black capris.

"Can I help you?" he inquired in an irritated tone, without opening his eyes.

Squeaking in surprise, the girl blushed, and fell back onto her bottom. She instantly felt like a creep for watching him sleep. Hastily she stammered, "N-n-no! I d-d-didn't m-mean t-to s-stare. Gomen, M-Master." Hinata cringed when she heard herself address Shikamaru with that terrible title.

The Nara opened his narrowed brown eyes and peered up at the Hyuuga. "Oh, Hinata, it's you. What're you doing on the floor? And why'd you call me 'Master'?"

"I-I was, ano," she tried to come up with a good excuse, but finally settled on telling the truth, "h-hiding." Catching Shikamaru's confused expression, she clarified, "From b-bullies." It wasn't exactly a lie, the Akatsuki were known for intimidating and harassing students. "And th-their m-m-making me call ev-v-veryone 'Master'."

"Soudesuka," exasperatedly sighed the brunette, closing his eyes again. "Well, you can stay here if you want. It's troublesome, but I guess I'll protect you." As his words sunk in Hinata's face burned cherry red. She was about to object, when he added, "Daijobu dayo. I'm a guy after all." His eyes flashed open and he gave her an encouraging smile.

"A-arig-g-gato!" The Hyuuga bowed her head to the boy who offered to help her, embarrassed at how scarlet her visage must be.

In middle school, Shikamaru had been one of the few who actually conversed with the shiest female from their class. It had started after being assigned a class project, that had gotten the highest marks of the ones turned in. Finding that Hinata wasn't a total idiot like most others, they paired up occasionally. They never came close to being labeled "friends", but they were on good terms to say the least.

Lunch carried on wordlessly; the Nara simply went back to sleep and the Hyuuga decided to pick one of the novels from the rack to read. It was peaceful until a phone went off, startling the girl so much the hardcover in her grasp fell from her fingers.

The cellphone in her backpack was buzzing to life and making noises; since, it was a gang rule that issued phones were required be kept on constantly. Checking the screen, the girl's milky eyes widened in alarm. It was Pein calling her. In her panic the indigo-haired teen silenced the device and threw it back into her bag.

"Who was that?" Shikamaru asked, offhandedly.

"N-no one," she lied lamely, regretting it when he cast her an inquisitive look. "J-just s-s-someone I d-don't want to t-talk to."

The Nara nodded thoughtfully, but questioned her no further. He yawned jadedly and lidded his watery eyes. Knowing him, it was simply too bothersome.

Without incident, the break came to a close and the pair of teens grabbed their backpacks and filed out of the library to head off to their last period of the day. By chance, they had the same class: Biology. When Shikamaru inquired as to why she hadn't attended so far, the Hyuuga vaguely replied that it was 'complicated'.

Raising an perfectly arched eyebrow, he remarked, "You changed a lot over the summer. You're more . . . _mysterious_."

Hinata's cheeks flushed with his words and she hesitantly asked, "Is th-that a g-good thing?"

The Nara chuckled. "Yeah, it is."

The compliment served to only redden the blushing girl's face further as they walked. By the time they reached the classroom in the East Wing, her cheeks were still a light pink. The Hyuuga followed him into the room, ivory orbs flickering about anxiously. Shikamaru gestured for her to join him at a lab table in the back.

"Hina-chan!"

Said girl peered up to spot Tobi skipping towards her with a cheery smile plastered on his child-like features. The Uchiha stopped right in front of the table asking, "Where was Hina-chan at lunch? Tobi missed Hina-chan!"

"G-gomen, ano, M-Ma-Master Tobi?" she apologize, tugging at the side of her bangs timidly. The Uchiha giggled at being referred to as 'Master'. "I w-w-was, ano, I just- that i-is-"

"She was with me," Shikamaru spoke up, eyeing the stranger before him suspiciously.

As if Tobi hadn't even noticed the Nara's existence, the boy turned to him with wide, curious eyes. Overlooking the clearly skeptical expression on the fellow brunette's face, the Uchiha zealously greeted him.

"Hello! I'm Tobi! Tobi is a good boy!"

All prior distrust evaporated and left Shikamaru bewildered by the unusual childish teen. The single syllable that he managed was, "Whaa-?"

The second bell sounded and Kakashi-sensei began the class. The silver-haired teacher attacked their schedule with a very laidback approach. He lazily announced that they were to be reading the chapter and filling out a worksheet for the day. Pointed out where the textbooks and the stack of papers were and then proceeded to indulge himself in what looked like a porn novel, but nobody said anything regarding the contraband.

The assigned chapter was lengthy, but the worksheet was no real difficulty. Combined they took all the time of the period. The closing bell had all the students out of their chairs and packing up their bags to hurry out the door. Before Hinata had even lifted her backpack from the ground by her feet, Tobi was bouncing up and down beside her.

The duo exited the school and converged at the parking lot with Gaara. The redhead returned Tobi's warm hello with a less then gracious greeting, but he didn't seem to mind.

"Hina-chan want to walk with Tobi to the middle school?"

"Ano, I c-can't," she informed him sadly, shifting her bag of books onto her shoulder. Hinata faced the Uchiha to find him frowning. "I'm i-in troub-b-ble with my f-father. I'm s-supposed to go s-straight home with Gaara-ch-chan."

The dark-haired boy whined like a five year denied candy.

"Gom-m-menasai."

The frown lifted from Tobi's face as he announced, "Oji-san is giving Tobi a ride! Hina-chan and Gaara-chan won't be late if we drive!"

The Sabaku twitched at being called "-chan" by a boy. It took all his willpower to not strike out at the immature boy. Like a mantra Gaara repeated to himself: _it's for Hinata's sake. _He'd been telling himself scripted that line a lot as of late.

"I-I could-d-dn't ask y-you th-"

However, Tobi hadn't heard, or acknowledged, her protest and took hold of the Hyuuga's thin wrist and dashed out into the cars, calling out, "Oji-san!"

Horrified as he watched the Uchiha dragging Hinata into the road full of moving cars, the redhead hurried after. At the last second, Gaara barely pushed the clueless pair out of the way of an oncoming Subaru. The car angrily honked at the teenagers, but they didn't seem to notice whatsoever.

The trio advanced toward a cobalt sports car, Madara was already revving up the engine. When he spotted the children coming his way, he flashed them a wide grin, revealing his lustrous sharp canine teeth. It gave him an attractive devilish charm that had Hinata blushing.

"Can Oji-san give Hina-chan and Gaara-chan a ride to Hina-chan's house?" requested the teacher's nephew, using his big innocent brown eyes to silently persuade him.

The older Uchiha chuckled huskily. "Sure, kid. Go ahead and get in, Hinata-chan. And hello Sabaku-san."

"Y-you know each oth-ther?" The indigo-haired girl looked between her best friend and Madara questioningly.

"He's one of my teachers," Gaara coldly enlighten her, his pale green eyes narrowing into a unyielding glare. Like most of his students, the redhead wasn't particularly fond of Uchiha-sensei. He was a strict discipliner and took a particularly sinister enjoyment in it.

Nonetheless, they all loaded into the car. As they were about to pull out, there was a 'tap, tap' on the rooftop. Outside the window loomed Kisame, an almost scary smile playing on his features.

"Yo, Madara."

The man in question turned to peer up at him. His voice acidic he returned, "Kisame. Can I help you?" His fierce obsidian eyes mutely transmitted a threatening message of 'This had better be important'.

"Pein wants to know where you're taking Hinata-chan," explained the blue-skinned highschooler. The Hyuuga noticeably stiffened at the Akatsuki leader's mention.

"Home," Madara flatly reported. "Is that all?"

"Yeah," he allowed, his mood lightening. "See you tomorrow, Hinata-chan, Tobi."

"B-b-bye, Kisame-kun!"

The blue car backed up out of it's parking space and they sped off. Once reaching a good distance from the school, Madara really pushed down on the gas pedal. The vehicle went barreling down the road and screeching violently around turns. Frightened, Hinata clung to Gaara, who happily obliged. On the other hand, Tobi had decided to roll down his window and hang half his body out the window squealing "_Whee_" as the drove.

Agitated, Madara snatched the bright yellow fabric of the child's shirt and yanked him back inside.

"What did I tell you about that, Tobi?" he reprimanded harshly, only half his attention directed on the road.

The dark-haired boy considered his uncle's words and eagerly responded, "Tobi knows! Tobi can only hangout the window on the deserted roads!"

"Right," agreed the brunette man, nodding in approval. "I can get a ticket if you do that in the suburbs."

_What kind of parental figure is Madara! _Hinata fearfully wondered, gaining some insight as to why the young Uchiha was. . . well, the way he was.

The Hyuuga was somewhat confused to see that they were going to the middle school and not her house. When she asked what was going on, the answer was "Picking up the kids. You're sister goes here to, ne?"

"Hai. Arigat-t-to," she thanked him, bowing her head unconsciously.

They parked once again and the two with siblings got out to find their pickups. Gaara remained stone-faced in the backseat, piercing gaze connected with Madara's in the reflection of the rearview mirror. They sat unmoving, unspeaking, just staring. They communicated with their eyes. The Sabaku seemed to say 'I don't trust you' while his adversary challenged 'What're you gonna do about it?'

When the freshmen returned with their little sister and brother in tow, the indigo-haired girl came to realization.

"There a-aren't en-n-nough seats."

"We'll squeeze," replied the driver, clearly unperturbed with breaking the law.

The hyper Uchiha joined the unhappy redhead in the backseat, Hanabi following willingly. The brunette Hyuuga had been delightfully surprise to see that Tobi had come with her Onee-chan to get her. The only setbacks in her mind was his creepy uncle and her rival. The backseat already looked pretty full, so Madara advised Obito and Hinata share the front seat.

Blushing like mad, the high schooler asked, "Sh-should I s-s-sit f-first and y-you sit on my l-la-la-"

Unable to sacrifice his manly pride, Obito put up a hand to stop her and sat himself in the passenger seat. An adorable blush coloring his cheeks, the little Uchiha held his arms open, saying, "Y-you can sit on my lap."

Madara chuckled at how cute his nephew was being, while Hinata uncertainly lowered herself onto his lap. They shifted until finding a comfortable position, luckily the two had small, slender physiques. The end result had the indigo-haired girl sort of sideways with her back angled to the window. Her left arm was extended over Obito's shoulders, which meant the boy's head was held against her generous chest.

"Y-you ok-k-kay?" stammered the red-faced Hyuuga, glancing down at the boy she was sitting on.

Gulping down nerves and flushed, Obito answered, "Y-yeah." His onyx orbs were averted to the ceiling, trying to will down the red of his flaring cheeks.

"Uchiha, you better not do anything to my Onee-chan!" yelled Hanabi, fuming and glaring furiously.

"Like I would, Hyuuga!" he shot back. Then shuddered slightly when he felt the killer intent emanating off the silent redhead next to his brother. Even if he did, there would be two people in the car that would probably castrate him.

"Alright, here we go, kids," announced Madara, evilly grinning, wider than Obito had ever seen his uncle smile. He was taking far too much enjoyment out of the situation. "Oh, and if we're spotted by the police don't worry about it. We can out run 'em and they won't be able to track this car back to us anyway."

"Yay!" exclaimed Tobi excitedly. His brother sighed at his misplaced enthusiasm, the white-eyed sister's paled, and Gaara remained ever stoic.

Fortunately, the police did not take notice of the over packed vehicle speeding towards the Hyuuga household at an alarming rate and they all arrived in one piece. As Hanabi shakily started up the walkway to the door, she thanked Kami that they didn't crash. Her sister and friend were following right behind her.

"Onee-chan, remember how I said I worry about you?"

"Hai."

"Are you sure you're okay?"

"H-hai, genki desu."

"Hontou ni?" Hanabi eyed her onee-chan suspiciously.

Faltering slightly she promised, "H-hontouni."

Once inside, Hiashi greeted Gaara with a stern nod and the teenagers made their way upstairs to begin working on homework. As they submersed themselves in English, Hinata absently pondered if everyday in Akatsuki was going to be so boisterous and full of commotion.

.xXxXxXx.

**Hijo ni yonde itadaki arigato gozai masu! **

(I think that's how you write it? Lol. I'm really trying to learn Japanese.)

**Author's Note**: Anyway, I feel like this was a bit of an improvement from last chapter? Maybe it's just me. /:'

I like ObitoXHinata fluff. So, kawaii~ :'3

And I seem to have a pattern: Tobi + Cars in motion = Near death experiences for Hinata. Hahaha.

**Like always**: Reviews, feedback, questions, and opinions are my favorite things.

It's really appreciated when someone takes like an extra minute out of their lives to say that they like something that they've obviously taken much more time to read.

**(Surprisingly, I've already got the next chapter written as well so the more reviews I get the sooner I'll post it.)**


	13. Chapter Twelve

**Disclaimer**: If you still aren't convinced, I ain't no Kishimoto-sensei. He's a genius and I clearly am not. xD

Author's Note: Like I promised, another fast update. I just want to give an extra thanks to everyone who reviewed because this story reached 225 reviews! All of you made me smile so much. It helps me write faster too, so I'm already finishing up with the next chapter. (:

**Also**: Important note at the bottom.

As for any warnings. . . Avid Sakura Haruno lovers beware. You read at your own risk of seeing your beloved character portrayed as the villain. If you aren't easily offended by a tiny bit of character bashing, then by all means continue.

.xXxXxXx.

Friday had arrived unexpectedly fast. It seemed as though the first day of school had only occurred yesterday, not four full days prior. Looking back at all the insane events that had been jammed into that short period of time was astounding. Hinata felt proud of herself for enduring through it all. She wholly hoped that the initiation was going to come to a close soon.

Stepping out into the crisp air, in a low-cut, knee length, thick-off-the-shoulder-strapped, lavender summer dress she searched for any signs of strange vehicles. Spotting none parked on either side of the street, she smiled happily to herself. No morning kidnappings today, she thought contently.

Her cousin, Neji was quick out the door that morning. The brunette decided to escort her to school. With her off hanging out with new friends, being punished, and his obsessive studying they hadn't really gotten chances to talk about high school life yet. Hinata's cousin was constantly fretting over her wellbeing and how she was adjusting to a larger school.

A few well crafted lies eased Neji's worrying. He didn't really need to that his delicate younger cousin was getting into less than appropriate activities. If he even found out about her ditching school . . . the Hyuuga heiress dared not think of it. He just couldn't know, that was all there was to it.

When they got to school, Hinata felt a great deal more confident and prepared ambling onto the buzzing campus. The giant building was definitely less fearsome than it had seemed days ago. There were even several familiar faces in the once sea of strangers.

When her ghost-like eyes trailed over the floods of people she caught sight of the tall blue-skinned Akatsuki member walking through it just a ways off. He was definitely hard to miss in a crowd. Kisame stood a head or two above the average high schooler and his unique skin color attracted a large amount of attention.

"K-Kisame-kun!" she cried out, abandoning her cousin's side to chase after her friend. Reaching his side, the Hyuuga latched onto his sleeve. "Kisame-k-kun."

Blinking, the giant of a boy turned her way. "Oh, Hinata-chan. What's up?" She released his shirt and looked just passed him to see that Deidara was accompanying him.

"Hey, Hina-chan," the blonde greeted her, flashing her a foxy grin. He was back in school, much to his chagrin. Nevertheless, it meant he could spend more time with Hinata and the rest of his friends. Besides, being cooped up in his room all day wasn't exactly the pinnacle of fun.

The indigo-haired girl fell into step with them, stammering, "I s-saw you walking a-and I, ano, o-ohaiyo, Kisame-kun, D-Deidara-kun." Her head dipped into a small bow before smiling happily at her friends. Then addressing the Iwa, she asked, "S-so, you're b-back now?"

"Yep," he answered dryly, scowling as he continued, "Pein said that the mess was all sorted out now, yeah." However, the blonde kept that fact that their leader was keeping him on pretty damn short leash for the bombing of the noodle stand quiet. There was no point in voicing his vexation on the matter.

"I glad," she told him, giving him one of her heart melting smiles.

Willing down the oncoming blush that was dangerously threatening to envelope him, Deidara nodded stiffly. If only the clueless girl knew what power she held over his traitorous heart, that went into a flurry without her even trying.

When the Iwa and Hyuuga entered their first period, the blonde yelped loudly and hid behind his friend. Bewildered, the indigo-haired girl searched for the cause of his distress to come face to face with Deidara's worst nightmare: Tobi.

The energetic freshman already traveled the distance of the room upon spotting two of his favorite people. Beaming widely, the boy exclaimed, "Sempai! Hina-chan!"

"Tobi, what the hell are you doing in here, yeah?" angrily demanded the fearful blonde, his grip on Hinata's shoulders tightening as the 'annoyance' drew closer. In all his years, the Iwa had never come across such a child that perused him with such conviction that it was scary.

"Tobi switched classes so he could be with Sempai!" he explained, his thumb pressed into his chest proudly.

Disregarding the look of horror that crossed Deidara's face, he carried on with his typical antics of trying to get his arms wrapped around the blonde and as per usual he ran away. Observing the two race around the art room, Hinata had to hand it to Tobi, he had formidable determination.

"Yo, Hime."

The Hyuuga span around to face Hidan. She said her hello and then turned to discover Tobi had effectively cornered his victim, er, Deidara. Watching the dark-haired freshman capture the whining Iwa's midsection the two spectators chuckled. Hinata did feel sorry for Deidara's discomfort, but inwardly she was cheering for Tobi's victory. He really was sweet and nothing, but nice to his sempai.

"Tobi joined our class?" impassively speculated Sasori, entering the classroom.

The giggling girl nodded, warmly greeting the redhead.

Art began as soon as Kurenai joined the room, commanding that everyone be seated so they could begin. The period was rowdier with Tobi's liveliness added to their table. Unpredictably, Hidan and the dark-haired boy actually got along relatively well together and it gave Deidara a break from his constant 'Sempai this' and 'Sempai that'. When they were all together like this, Hinata found that it was more fun with a fuller group.

Break went by uneventful. Afterwards, the three students that had Geometry headed to class, while Tobi was more than happy to escort his sempai to his next period.

When they arrived, it was apparent Sarutobi wasn't very forgiving of the insolence the Hyuuga and Hidan had showed him two days prior. However, some smooth words from Sasori had the whole episode pinned on solely silver-haired junior.

When the class ended and the trio moved to the hallway, glaring spitefully at his 'friend', the wronged teenager demanded, "What the fuck, Sasori?"

Dully, the Akasuna turned to him and deadpanned, "What?"

Thrusting an accusing finger, Hidan shouted, "You set me up! That's fuckin' cheap, man!"

The redhead shrugged, unruffled by his words. More pointedly, he inquired, "Would you rather Hinata-kun get in trouble?" His mahogany eyes narrowed at the silver-haired boy.

"A-ano," said girl piped up. "I c-can go t-tell Sarutobi-sensei th-that it was all m-my fault."

Feeling like a jackass, Hidan face palmed, groaning. Shooting a sideways glare at Sasori, he told her, "No, damn it. Don't do that, Hime. Just forget it."

"O-okay."

After that, they parted ways and went onwards to their next scheduled classes. It would be the Hyuuga's first time attending her fifth period Spanish class, seeing as she had missed it the past two times during the week. She briefly wondered who would be in it as she paused outside the door.

Stepping into the classroom, she abruptly stopped. With saucer-sized milk white eyes, Hinata stood rooted to the linoleum, but her brain screamed 'Run!'

Already seated in the center of the front row, in all his orange-wearing, bronzed skin, sunny-haired, brilliantly blue-eyed, obliviousness was Naruto Uzumaki. He hadn't changed one bit since middle school, except maybe maturing physically by a year. The freshman was laughing at full volume about something and it caused the Hyuuga's heart to skip a beat, but when memories of last year flooded her mind her chest seemed to tighten painfully.

Oh, Kami. She wasn't prepared for this.

Panic rapidly surfaced and Hinata felt herself becoming woozy. The feeling was instantly recognizable as to what occurs just as she's about to faint. Identifying the sensation wasn't enough to save her though.

As if all the tension drained from her, the indigo-haired girl's knees buckled and she fell backwards. Unknown arms had caught the Hyuuga's body before her head hit the ground just before everything went black.

Gradually returning from unconsciousness, Hinata could hear a voice calling her name. The voice soon morphed into multiple voices as she regained more of her senses. Ghost eyes fluttering open, she peered up into the small crowd of worried faces.

Crouched around her was Kisame, Kiba, Shikamaru, and Gaara. Others were lingering close behind, all mirrored expressions of concern and confusion.

Blushing violently as she it dawned on her what happened, Hinata straightened up. She'd been leaned against the wall on the tiled floor, judging by the room's appearance she was still in the Spanish class.

"Hina-chan, are feeling alright?" asked Gaara, resting a tender hand on her shoulder.

The redhead had shown up to class just in time to watch his best friend begin sinking to the ground. Luckily, the blue-skinned boy was a step ahead of him and rescued the Hyuuga from a head injury.

"I-I-I'm alr-r-right," she stuttered quietly.

Relieved, Kisame held out his hand to help her onto her feet. Everyone surrounding them backed up to give the girl some breathing room.

"You okay there, Hyuuga-san?" inquired a fair-haired man, most likely the teacher.

Apologetically, Hinata nodded twice. "Sumimasen."

The sensei addressed her and then the class as he said, "Good. Now everyone take your seats, we'll start class now that Hyuuga-san has recovered."

Still worried somewhat, Kisame guided the paled girl to the second to last row and seated her between Gaara and Kiba, Shikamaru was at his right. He then resumed his position at the head of the class. The teacher, Mizuki, announced that the towering blue student before them was going their to be the TA for the period.

This aided Hinata's mental recuperation considerably. Sure, the one guy that had ever ripped her heart to shreds without caring in the least was in her fifth period class, but so were her very best friend, two other friends, and a good acquaintance.

It wouldn't be that horrible, right?

Surviving the last half of class, Hinata mentally sighed. It was going to be a long year. Kisame, Gaara, Shikamaru, and Kiba all walked down the hallway towards the cafeteria once they'd been dismissed. A little over halfway there, the indigo-haired girl paused.

"I forgot, I h-have to stop by m-my locker," remembered the Hyuuga. She told them to go on ahead and that she'd meet up with them right after.

Heading back into the school building, she made her way to the second floor. When she opened her locker there was a note inside. Curious, Hinata read it a loud, "Hinata-chan, p-please meet m-me in room 110 at l-lunch." She stopped short when she silently read who it was signed by: 'Your secret admirer'.

Her face flushed, glancing around the nearly empty hallway.

Uncertainly, the indigo-haired girl decided that she'd better go to the rendezvous. On the way there, nervousness quickly overtook her. The Hyuuga had never had a secret admirer before.

Opening the door to the specified classroom, Hinata hesitantly walked inside. She didn't see anyone and wondered if maybe he was running late? Or was it all a practical joke?

The sound of the door opening once again, drew her attention back the doorway. Though it wasn't a secret admirer that had just entered the class; it was Sakura Haruno, flanked by four unfamiliar girls and they looked angry.

"C-c-can I-I h-help y-y-you?" she stuttered, shifting uncomfortably beneath their glares.

"Look at her," remarked Sakura nastily, striding towards Hinata with haughty air. "She thinks she's hot stuff. Little Hinata Hyuuga." She scoffed, jutting her chin up so she could look down the bridge of her nose at the Hyuuga. "As if! We know the real Hinata, now don't we girls?"

A few of them nodded seriously, drawing nearer. The looks on their faces made their intent clear.

"Wh-wh-what d-do y-you w-w-want?" the indigo-haired girl squeaked.

One of the girls spitefully answered, "To teach you a lesson, for going after Sasuke, bitch." As Hinata backed up more, she put the pieces together. They were Sasuke Uchiha's fangirls. They were pissed off that the two of them were on friendly terms with each other.

"P-p-please, g-go a-w-way," the Hyuuga pleaded desperately. Her back now pressed to the wall behind her, they continued to move closer. "I-I d-d-didn't—"

"Aw, don't be a baby," snapped Sakura, glowering angrily. "This is what happens when you go and touch something that's not yours."

If Hinata wasn't deathly afraid, she would have pointed out that Sasuke did not belong to them either, but she held her tongue. Pissing off the group of jealous hormonal females was not in her best interest. The Uchiha's fans were not forgiving.

"Let's teach her the same lesson we taught Ami."

They cackled at the memory of their once friend, who'd gotten a little too close to Sasuke the year before. Hinata vaguely recalled the loud mouth girl switching schools abruptly in the middle of the eighth grade. Getting close to Sasuke wasn't permitted. It was not acceptable; no one was allowed to touch him. No one.

"Give me the scissors," commanded Sakura, grinning evilly.

Horrified, Hinata's eyes went wide as she saw the silver blades being passed into the pinkette's hands.

"You see," began Sakura, her tone soft. The Haruno's emerald eyes traced the sharp instrument in her grasp. "Back when you were a shy little tomboy . . ." Green orbs connected with ghost white from behind thick lashes. "Nobody gave a damn." The pinkette beamed maliciously at Hinata, opening and closing the scissors deliberately. "So. . . If we turn you back into _that_ Hinata, things will go back to normal, ne?" Sakura and the girls hooted cruelly, finding a sick humor in the situation.

"S-s-st-t-top," breathed the Hyuuga, unable to do anything. She was vastly out numbered and had no weapon to scare them off. Clutching the fabric of her dress that was stretched across her chest, Hinata's back slid down the wall. Her entire frame was trembling as she cowered, crouched low to the ground.

"Grab her," ordered the pink-haired leader, smirking. Two of her followers grabbed hold of their prey by the arms, signaling that they were ready.

As Sakura's reached out and seized a fistful of silky regalia purple hair, the deafening sound of glass shattering was the only warning to the shards sailing threw the air. One sliced through bubblegum locks to graze the smooth flesh of Hinata's cheekbone, blood sliding down to her chin. Several cut a few of the other Sasuke fangirls that had been nearer to the windowsill.

Petrified, all eyes turned warily towards the gaping hole where the window had previously been. In it's place, a senior had just leapt through it, closing the distance with dark silver eyes never leaving Sakura. The spiky orange-haired boy held an air of pure terror, one that could only be described as demonic.

In one purposeful motion, the back of Pein's hand whipped across the pinkette's face with thunderous 'smack'. The other girls let out shrill screams, released Hinata, all stepping away from the demon of boy, but they dared not run. Tears pricking her wide fear-filled apple orbs, Sakura tentatively brushed her fingers against the burning mark of his handprint.

As the rescued Hyuuga watched her savior round on the other girls, suddenly her own wellbeing was hardly her worry. Shakily rising from the floor, arm outstretched, she took a apprehensive step towards him. "P-P-Pein-s-sama, y-you can't!"

The Akatsuki leader's hateful glare turned to Hinata, his acid words slipped through clenched teeth as he bit out, "Go outside."

"B-B-But-"

"_Now_," he demanded, glowering furiously. His attention redirected to the retreating females, all drawing closer to each other in a corner. He approached the cluster like a predator, the same evil smile tugged at his lips that had once been on Sakura's face. Now the pinkette looked like a lost frightened child. How easily the tables turn.

The hand at the indigo-haired girl's side clenched tightly. She couldn't allow him to do this. If she sat back and permitted this to happen it would mean nothing had changed. She would still be powerless and pathetic. The same timid girl that hid behind her hands and baggy jackets. She had to stand up and do something, now. It was her chance to finally _change_.

Her feet moved as her decision was made, carrying her across the room.

"No!" she cried, slamming into Pein's hard backside. Desperately, she grasped onto his muscular arms, using all her might to keep them at bay. "S-stop it! I won't l-let you!"

"_What_?" he hissed disbelievingly, entirely taken off guard. The Akatsuki leader span around, knocking her back, to face the fiery Hyuuga, his hardened glower narrowing.

Not wavering in the least Hinata repeated, "I-I won't let you f-fight my battles f-for me." She swallowed, taking in a shallow breath. "O-or I'll-I'll fight you." Lifting her arms, forming fists, she showed that she was serious.

The orange-haired senior had parted his lips, a look of outrage twisting his features, but the words that the had been about to speak were killed when he saw the passionate determination shining in her alabaster orbs.

Instead, Pein's features softened and all the animosity dissipated. With a resigned sigh, he nodded once. Slowly a satisfied smile crept onto his face. It threw the indigo-haired freshman off and she blinked in confusion.

"Alright, Hyuuga," he agreed. Then extending an open palm, he gently beckoned, "Come on."

Hesitantly, the girl placed her hand in his, blushing when his fingers enclosed around her own. Tenderly, the Akatsuki leader rubbed the flowing blood from her cheek. As they departed, the two left the gawking fangirls staring after them shell-shocked, half relieved, and bewildered.

Mutely holding hands and walking down the hallway, the heat in Hinata's cheeks extended it's warmth to her full face. She knew that she had to be completely scarlet at this point. Her thought process was in utter ruin and her heart was rapidly pounding. All the flushed girl could do was stare shyly at the floor, letting Pein guide her.

Her head snapped up when she distinctly heard a mass of voices growing louder, she recognized that they had already traveled to the other side of the school and were entering the cafeteria. Audible murmurs reached Hinata's ears, her body tensing when she recognized her name. Gossip of her dating the impassive-looking orange-haired boy grasping her hand were already beginning. Just her luck.

Yet, it wasn't as upsetting as it would have been before. The idea didn't totally repulse her either. Pein wasn't the sick jerk she'd originally pinned him as.

Seriously, the Akatsuki leader asked the Hyuuga beside him, "Are you sure that you want to join Akatsuki?"

"Hai," she answered confidently, her mind had been made from the start. There was no way that she was backing down when she'd come so far.

"It suppose it can't be helped," the upperclassman muttered to himself, letting the silence take over.

Sneaking a glance at the boy beside her, he caught her ivory gaze. Quickly turning away, the Hyuuga mentally kicked herself for her heart fluttering when he'd smirked at her. What if she liked him? Shaking her head, she dismissed the thought. It was probably just because she was grateful that he'd saved her.

They halted at the gang's lunch table, everyone was present. Their heads all turned to face the pair. The cold glares from a select few of the Akatsuki directed at their leader, for holding the blushing girl's hand, were uncaringly ignored.

Then grinning proudly, Pein announced, "Hinata has finished the initiation and is now a full-fledged member of Akatsuki!"

Utterly surprised by this turn of events, she span to face him with wide disbelieving eyes. For the first time, he gave her a genuine smile, one devoid of any dark undertones or hidden emotions. The true smile of Pein.

The table erupted into cheers beside the pair, standing up to rally around the newest member. Tobi was the first to enthusiastically embrace the surprised freshman, hopping up and down in his fervor.

The hug didn't last long because Deidara shoved the Uchiha off Hinata to give her a gleeful hug of his own, spouting his congratulations.

Hidan ruffled up Hinata's soft hair from behind, saying "Fucking knew you could do it, Hime."

Next, Kisame enveloped the girl in giant bear hug, lifting her feet off the ground, nearly crushing her in his excitement.

When she was set back down, Itachi patted the Hyuuga's head, smiling encouragingly.

The less exuberant of the gang were less touchy, but still warming. Konan gave her warm smile and a thumbs up, Kakuzu gave her an approving nod, and Zetsu beamed at her from behind Tobi's bouncing head.

Happy tears welled in Hinata's eyes as she told them, "A-arigato, mina!"

She'd been accepted by so many wonderful people. She stood up for what she believed. She met her goal and changed.

It was one of the happiest days of her life.

As Pein had watched his gang celebrating the new member's formal induction into Akatsuki, he couldn't help having a combination of different feelings on the matter. As an individual, he rather liked her, but he was still somewhat against the girl as one of them.

The initiation phase for the Hyuuga had been to see if she could come out of her timid shell. Thus he first humiliated her with an outrageous outfit, tested her devotion when not in their presence by having her refer to everyone regardless as 'Master', and acted callously towards her to test her nerve. Just moments before she demonstrated her courage by standing up to him. So, it went without saying that she was worthy to be one of them, yes.

The Hyuuga freely chose to run with the wolves; nonetheless, she had no real idea what business she was getting herself entangled in. The fear of Akatsuki was substantial for a reason. Not only that, Madara had set his sights on the girl. When the elder Uchiha was involved it could only mean bad things.

_If anything_, the leader thought, _Hinata Hyuuga was in for one hell of a ride_.

.xXxXxXx.

**Author's note**: Hinata made it into the Akatsuki at last! :D

The story will be progressing at a faster rate from this point onward. Only two or three more chapters and we'll be moving onto the more intricate plot. The first week was just really hectic and I wanted everyone to get the feel of her soon-to-be everyday life.

**IMPORTANT**: Another Poll for this story. It'll be closed fairly soon though. I just want a general feedback on an idea I had. Remember the EXTRA update I added with Konan's phone call?

Well it's be kind of like that only with more storyline to it, featuring different characters, and show scenes that aren't on the main plotline, but still relevant. Kinda' like a behind the scenes of their character development for when they coincide with the main plot.

Go ahead and vote on my profile or give your answer in an anonymous review if you're too lazy to login. Lol.

**Like I said, I'm already finishing up with the next chapter too. So, please review and I'll keep updating quickly. :D**

**Arigato gozai masu!**


	14. Chapter TH1RT33N

**EDITED:** So, yea. I thought that my first version was too rushed and crappy after I posted and re-read it. This one is a little better and it doesn't bother me as much. I added an extra scene that helped explain the end too.

**Disclaimer**: Naruto and co. do not fall under my possession.

**AN**:

-I apologize to everyone for the belated update. As you may have noticed I was ungrounded and therefore not around a computer. I've been staying with some friends of mine and I haven't had time to write.

The end of the chapter will probably seem rushed, so I apologize in advance.

**Warning**: Alcoholic beverages.

.xXxXxXx.

_Chapter. 13._

As the Akatsuki, Hinata officially included, reseated themselves the commotion was only subdued to some extent. After getting a band-aid for her cut, the newest recruit was sandwiched between a chatterbox Tobi and a rowdy Hidan. Everyone was still lively buzzing with excitement about the fresh addition.

"Are we gonna' hold the party tonight?" Konan asked, she seemed unusually perky. A nice improvement from the foul mood that had plagued them most of the past week. Whatever had been pissing her off seemed to have vanished, or perhaps lessened with the latest event.

The table settled, it was discussion time.

It was Pein to reply, "Of course." Then, as if shifting into leader mode, he got very serious as he continued, pointing to each he named, "Konan, Deidara, you're on decoration." They nodded. "Itachi, Kisame, Tobi provisions. And Tobi you're also on invites."

"You got it," agreed the shark-like boy, grinning toothily. The silent senior nodded blank faced. While the third member of their team exclaimed, "Tobi's got it too!"

"Hidan, Kakuzu, you are to get the drinks," the orange-haired senior went on to say. Once he had their compliance, he finished, "Good. Also, Sasori and Zetsu you have assignments that I'll give you details about after school, understood?"

"Yeah," they responded in synchronized monotone.

The Hyuuga had been so enthralled by how amazingly Pein took charge, dished out orders like a commanding officer, and how the Akatsuki treated party planning with such importance, that it took her a moment to realize she hadn't been named.

"What ab-b-bout me?"

The silver-haired boy on her right swung an arm around the girl's shoulder. "Don't worry 'bout it, Hime. It's your party so we'll take care of it."

"M-m-my p-party?" she squeaked in surprise, her cheeks coloring at the thought. No one had ever thrown her a party before, not unless it was a small formal gathering to commemorate her birthday.

"To celebrate you're joining," cheerfully explained the cerulean-haired girl. "It's customary that Akatsuki get together and hold a party at the base. You can invite anyone you'd like."

Beaming at her friends, Hinata inwardly thanked them all.

When the indigo-haired girl went off to PE she couldn't suppress the huge smile that was plastered on her face. When her mind drifted off towards later that night it made her giddy. A whole party just for her. Not only that, Pein told her the two of them were going shopping after school to pick out a dress for the night.

As the final class ended, Hinata found herself eagerly making her way to the front of the school. Searching the students, her ivory eyes fell on the Akatsuki leader speaking to Sasori and Zetsu, most likely informing them about their assignment. The girl contemplated what assignments entailed as she walked over to them, thinking about if she would get assignments as well.

Just as the Hyuuga reached the three conversing Akatsuki, the redhead and his partner disbanded to go off and complete their job.

"Ready to go?" asked the orange-haired boy, raising a perfectly arched eyebrow. The girl nodded in response before he led her to his silver car.

The drive to the mall was less frightening then her first ride in Pein's car. Hinata was still nervous being alone with the Akatsuki leader, he wasn't as intimidating, but he still put her on edge.

At a stoplight, he slyly leaned over, pulled the regalia purple strands of hair away from her ear and nipped it softly. The unsuspecting girl squeaked, blushed, and jumped away slightly; just the reaction he'd desired. Laughing openly, Pein slid back to his side of the car, stepping on the gas pedal.

In her head, Hinata was trying desperately to figure out what kind of guy he was. He was cool, admittedly handsome, a strong leader, nice when he wanted to be, short tempered, demonic, somewhat arrogant, snobbish, and obviously perverted. He'd also rescued her and got angry that someone had tried attacking her, so possibly heroic? And that left the her was the conclusion that he was . . . a mystery yet to be solved.

Shifting uncomfortably in her seat, the Hyuuga drew her gaze up from her thighs to peer out the window. They were safely pulling into the Mall parking lot. The vehicle parked in a 'Handicapped Space'.

"W-we can't p-park here," argued the indigo-haired girl, turning to the driver.

Pein simply pulled out a blue card with an identifiable wheelchair and attached it to the rearview mirror. Smirking haughtily at her, he got out of the car, leaving her no choice, but to follow suit. It seemed that if you were in Akatsuki you could do anything you want, even steal parking spaces from little old ladies in wheelchairs.

The Mall was crowded as usual and once inside Hinata couldn't stop blushing. It looked like nearly everyone was staring at her, or more specifically the orange-haired hottie who had attached himself to her. His arm was casually draped across her shoulders as they walked.

"P-p-please, l-let go," stuttered the freshman, shrinking under the amount of unwanted attention she was receiving.

Her request confused the Akatsuki leader. "Why?"

"Ev-v-veryone's st-staring," she whined quietly, her alabaster eyes flickering across all the strangers looking her direction.

"So?"

"I-it's embar-r-rasing," she explained, then more shyly she added, "and p-people might th-think we're d-d-d-dating." Unable to look at the boy with his arm around her after making such a statement, Hinata averted her gaze to the shops on her right. She was cherry red and her heart was thumping loudly.

Amused, Pein chuckled, taking hold of the Hyuuga's chin with his thumb and forefinger. Face to face with the delicate beauty, he leaned in close so their lips were just inches apart. His silver eyes went from her delectable rose petal pink lips to her huge ghost white orbs. He had to confess, she really was gorgeous.

"What would be wrong with that?" he whispered with a voice of velvet. His steady breath hot against her mouth. His eyelids lowered shut as he began closing the gap between them.

Unexpectedly, in her panic, Hinata's arms worked on their own and pushed him away. The look of shock on the orange-haired boy's face made her feel guilty. Yet what was she supposed to do? The Hyuuga didn't even know if she liked him, or if Pein even liked her for that matter. She couldn't just sacrifice her first kiss on a whim!

"S-sorry!" Hinata cried out, desperately taking off at a run. It was a short-lived escape when her pursuer was faster.

The Akatsuki leader caught hold of her arm. "Hold on!"

The indigo-haired girl stopped, but didn't turn around. There was no way she could face him; she was scared. What if Pein was angry with her?

Seeing her resistance, the senior sighed. "Hinata-chan, I didn't mean to scare you. I'm really sorry."

Hesitantly, Hinata glanced over her shoulder. The repentant expression Pein wore looked honest enough. As she faced him, he let go of his hold on her arm.

"I'm sorry too," she timidly apologized again. She grabbed her left hand and held them together in front of her chest. "I'm n-not, ano, prepared f-for something l-like that."

Understanding exactly what she was getting at, Pein felt like a dick. Kind of embarrassed with himself, he guessed, "You've never kissed anyone?"

Reddening further, she nodded.

The Akatsuki leader couldn't believe how undeniably pure and innocent the girl was. She had such generous figure and huge breasts, yet she hadn't even gone as far as kissing. It was going to take a lot more work than Madara thought to corrupt her.

"I get it. Let's go pick out your dress now," decided the senior resignedly, he ran his fingers through his unruly locks.

Appreciatively, Hinata agreed. Her first kiss wasn't really a preferred topic of discussion. It only proved to show how inexperienced the girl was.

Before they resumed walking, Pein took hold of her hand. She gave him an inquiring look, to which he vaguely replied, "For your safety."

The Akatsuki leader felt the Hyuuga was better protected if she looked taken. He hadn't missed how many perverse guys were longingly gazing after the oblivious girl. She had to be as bad as Tobi when it came to naivety.

Choosing a dress wasn't very demanding. Pein had strode into one of the more expensive stores, picked out an ensemble, and had the girl try it on.

Flushed, Hinata reemerged from the dressing room looking sexy as hell. The one the senior had chosen was a simple, tight, black, thin-stringed halter, curve-hugging dress that hit her upper thigh. Amazingly, it was the perfect size and accommodated her ample chest.

"Perfect," appraised the Akatsuki leader, smirking. He'd always had a knack when it came to wardrobe. He passed her a pair of matching strappy heels and had her put them on as well.

Agreeing upon his choice, she changed back out of it and he bought the set.

Shopping bag in one hand and Hinata's in his other, Pein informed her, "Konan will do you're hair and makeup once we get to the base."

It was sunset when they arrived at the base, the older girl came out to greet them. She explained that they were still decorating so the Hyuuga had to be blindfolded in order to not ruin the surprise. Next, Konan led her up the steps into a bathroom on the top floor. Locking the door behind them, the cerulean-haired girl got to work.

As Konan brushed out her subject's long silky hair, she commented, "I've grown up with guys my whole life, so I've never had a friend that's a girl."

Hinata's eyes widened at the news, saying, "R-really? Me e-either."

The older girl's expression brightened. "Then we should stick together, ne?" She winked into the mirror and the Hyuuga beamed back at her. "I've never been able to have girl talks. We should have a slumber party this weekend."

"Th-that would be f-fun!" she agreed, watching as her hair was done up in a similar fashion as Konan's. The difference was her straight bangs with two longer strands were left alone. A black butterfly ornament was slipped into the bun atop her head.

"Just curious," the senior girl began slyly, "but do happen to have anyone that you like?" She took hold of Hinata's blushing face and started on her makeup.

"Ano, n-not really," mumbled the Hyuuga, willing down the fire under her skin. She didn't, right?

Konan seemed to pout as she said, "That's too bad. A lot of the guys think you're cute."

Uncertainly, the younger girl asked, "Wh-what about y-you, Konan-san?"

It was miniscule, but there when the blue-haired girl paused mid brushstroke, but she quickly resumed.

Dismissively, she answered, "Just this guy, but things are long over between us." She switched to the mascara and added, "And go ahead and call me 'Konan-chan'."

"Sure." Then the Hyuuga remarked, "Th-that's kind of s-sad though."

The older girl half-shrugged. "I'll live. Can't really have a boyfriend when I'm in Akatsuki anyway. There's never any time."

When Hinata was done, she was directed to the empty room next door to change and wait while the decorations were finished and Konan got ready.

Sitting alone on the bed, the indigo-haired girl wondered who Konan's lost love was. What if it was one of the Akatsuki? What if that was why she'd been so upset all week, because of the attention Hinata was receiving? She had wanted to ask, but it felt too personal.

A booming voice carried up to her ears, she easily recognized it to be Kisame's. The noise level began increasing as it seemed everyone was showing up. It made the Hyuuga fidget with the anticipation. When the uproar reached it's highest level, the door opened.

Head snapping up to the opening, she found Itachi there.

"You look quite lovely Hinata-san," he complimented her, smiling gently. She flushed at his words. "I'm here to be your escort; everyone's waiting for your entrance."

Wobbling slightly in her heels, Hinata made her way over to the Uchiha. Reaching his side, the indigo-haired girl's blush deepened as she allowed him to link his arm around hers.

Like a princess, Itachi led her to the staircase where her audience awaited. Looking about the home base, there were black and red balloons and streamers, twisted together in a spiral, hung up all throughout the downstairs where all the Akatsuki were standing at the bottom of the steps, eyes transfixed on the gorgeous girl above them.

When Hinata and her escort reached the lower level of the house, Tobi exclaimed, "Hina-chan is pretty!"

"Of course she is, baka," chided Deidara, giving his underclassman a thump on the head.

As the young Uchiha whined, Sasori clocked his best friend on the head, muttering, "Leave him alone tonight." Ignoring the Iwa's angry glare, the redhead turned to the blushing girl next to them, and kindly said, "You do look very beautiful, Hinata-kun."

"Very sexy," rectified Hidan, flashing her a toothy grin. When he winked at her too the Hyuuga felt the fire spread across her visage.

Wiping away a little dribble of saliva from his chin, Kisame wholeheartedly agreed, "Indeed."

"Thank y-you, everyone," she thanked them, dipping her head in a tiny bow.

"Well then, let's get this party started!" shouted the silver-haired teen, pumping a fist enthusiastically into the air. He turned to pass under the doorway of the kitchen, Deidara following behind him.

On cue, Konan hit the 'Play' button on the iHome and booming techno beats filled the base. She tossed her azure locks to the beats as she made her way down the hallway, sashaying her hips.

It wasn't very long before people began arriving and the base was flooded with an array of teenagers. Hinata could recognize a good handful of them, though Zetsu had informed her that a bunch of the people weren't even students at their school. Akatsuki were apparently known for having raging parties with an open door. Anyone, unless you were on their blacklist -a place you don't want to find yourself, was allowed entrance.

The party girl herself had invited a few people of her choice. Among the strangers, Kiba, Shikamaru, Chouji, Gaara, and his siblings were all accounted for. She'd asked Sasuke to attend as well, but he refused. Temari and Kankuro were floating about the downstairs like many of the other partiers, but Gaara had chosen to hold steadfast to his position at the Hyuuga's side.

It had been a happy surprise to see that Obito was also present. Though, the middleschooler was more of an acting babysitter, considering he was constantly hounding his older brother. Like he was doing at that moment.

From her spot by the wall, Hinata was observing a very familiar sight.

"Niisan, just leave him alone," the boy chided, pulling on Tobi's left arm in an attempt to pry the highschooler away from his sempai.

Aggravated by the constant annoyance, Deidara was already threatening to reach his boiling point and just clobber the bothersome Uchiha. Through a clenched jaw, he agreed, "Listen to the brat!"

Ignoring both of his favorite people, the dark-haired ball of energy whined, "But Tobi wants to dance with Sempai!" He was latched onto the blonde back, with his arms encircling the sophomore's neck. There was an exuberant grin that had been permanently etched into his childlike features since attaching to the furious Iwa.

"B-b-but, Tobi-chan," squeaked Hinata, feeling a pang of sympathy for the Uchiha's captive. Three heads turned. At the sudden attention, she faltered slightly, blushing deeply. "Maybe D-Deidara-kun doesn't want to d-dance."

Tobi whined in defeat and freed Deidara, who made a dash for the kitchen, while Obito let out a relieved sigh. The two siblings went on their way, the elder dragging his brother towards the dance floor as a replacement for his sempai.

"Do you have to deal with that often?" the redhead at the Hyuuga's side questioned in monotone.

The whole party scene had the Sabaku feeling disillusioned. Teens throwing themselves to loud music, others ingesting illegal substances, raging hormones, and there was a lot of alcohol going around. Instead, he'd come along for the sole purpose of guarding the meek indigo-haired girl. He wasn't going to allow anyone to take advantage of her. If someone dared, then they would pay dearly.

"Kind of," she replied, half-shrugging a shoulder. The Hyuuga had gotten used to their banter and squabbling. It was somewhat humorous.

Disinterestedly, Gaara's sea foam green eyes roamed the many faces and passing heads. He paused momentarily on the doorway as he watched Hidan drive out an unwanted guest by shoving his heel into the guy's lower back. The silver-haired junior proceeded to flip off the fleeing teen and curse at him.

His nose wrinkled in disgust as he dryly thought, '_How classy_.' The redhead glanced at Hinata, smiling obliviously, and wondered what the barbarians must've done to lure her into their evil cult. There was no way she belonged with animals like them.

"Yo, Hinata-chan," Kiba called out, squeezing through the tight crowd to get to where she was standing. Gasping for a breath of air when he surfaced, the dog lover grinned triumphantly. "Nice party. It feels like we're really in high school now."

High school parties were privileges that most middleschoolers looked forward too, since they were usually excluded from more mature bashes. As freshmen, they were probably lucky to at such a party so early in the year. It would definitely boost their reps with this achievement under their belts.

Nonetheless, no matter how much Hinata had desired to change, social status wasn't all that important to her. Having friends and being accepted was enough.

"Yes, it d-does sort of," she agreed, smiling contently. The party was a bit on the rowdy side, but it was also fun. "Is there anyone else f-from our grade here?"

Frowning, the brunette replied, "I saw Ino here, but Sakura and her posse aren't with her. I think she showed up with Shikamaru." He looked around for other faces, but discovered no one else from their year.

The Yamanaka's presence was a little unsettling, but the Hyuuga was more than certain the Akatsuki weren't going to let Sakura in anyway. Plus, the popular blonde girl had not been among the girls that had assaulted her. There was no real conflict between them.

The Sabaku beside her was about to say something, seeing the unease that had consumed his best friend at the pinkette's mention, but his sister had chosen to appear at that moment.

"Gaara!" the sandy blonde exclaimed, seizing his shoulder. Temari was dressed in her usual chic and trendy style, a pair of designer dark wash jeans and white dress shirt. Her teal orbs possessed a pleading look glinting in them. "I'm sorry, but I could really use your help right now. Kankuro is trashed, he drank too much tequila." A exasperated frown pulled the corners of her mouth downwards as she pouted.

Sighing deeply at his older brother's idiocy, the redhead said quick goodbyes and allowed himself to be led away by the blonde senior. The three siblings had a journey home to make.

Just then, Zetsu walked by sporting a tray of glasses with pale yellow liquid in them. Upon spotting Hinata and her friend, he lowered the tray to nose level. His white hand flexed to present the beverages in a showy manner.

"Lemon drop? **They're good**."

The half of his mouth on his black half pulled his lip up into a sideways grin, revealing a row of sharp jagged teeth.

Milky white eyes narrowed on the drinks. The indigo-haired girl had been turning down alcohol all night, but she was thirsty and it looked safe. Thanking him, she took one for herself and Kiba followed suit.

Taking a cautious sip, the Hyuuga deemed that it was simply sour lemonade. The two freshmen went into the kitchen to add a few lumps of sugar to their drinks. Once properly sweetened, they finished off the lemonade.

"I'm gonna' get another one," informed the brunette, leaving Hinata in the kitchen.

"Come on, Itachi!"

Upon hearing Kisame's deep voice, Hinata glanced up at the two Akatsuki members that had just strolled into the kitchen. The blue-haired boy had his arm on his best friend's shoulder, putting most of his weight on the Uchiha. Itachi himself did not appear to be very amused with his antics.

"Just take a swig," pressed the Hoshigaki, shaking a half-empty fifth of Seagram's 7 in the thinner's face. His narrowed eyes lifted to the lone girl sitting at the dinning table. His grin widened, booming, "Hinata-chan! Take a swig with us. Ne, Itachi?" He elbowed his raven-haired friend.

"N-no," she declined, putting her hands up like a shield.

Pouting, the bluenette batted his eyes in an almost comical manner. "Aw, come on. Just one?"

"You don't have to, Hinata-san," Itachi informed her, eyes narrowing on his best friend. The Uchiha wasn't exactly a supporter of corrupting the mousy freshman. The rest of Akatsuki obviously had other ideas though.

"Well," the Hyuuga pondered his offer, nibbling on her lower lip. "J-just one?"

The fattest grin the indigo-haired girl had ever seen stretched Kisame's face as he exclaimed, "Yeah!" With one twist of his strong fingers the cap to his bottle span and shot off. He didn't need the lid anymore anyway.

The raven-haired teen sighed in defeat as Hinata rose from her chair.

The Hoshigaki tossed back his head and let a large amount of brown-tinted liquid be guzzled down his throat. A satisfied 'ah' sounding after.

The whiskey was then passed down to nervous girl, who took the fifth in both hands around the base. Taking a sniff of the repulsive alcohol, she followed her sempai's lead and tilted her head back. Then, lifting the bottle above her head, the Hyuuga let the booze flow into her mouth. She didn't know to open her throat up, instead of fill her mouth; so, like most novices, the fiery drink settled on her tongue and gave her the urge to spit it out.

With a burning gulp, Hinata felt her mouth and throat sweltering from the swig. Itachi quickly accommodated her with a iced glass of water.

"Nice," commented the shark-like highschooler, holding his thumb up in congratulations. Slyly, he rounded on the third member of the circle. "You're swig, Itachi. Don't let Hinata-chan show you up." He chuckled.

Succumbing to peer pressure, the Uchiha's mouth met the bottle's opening and the alcohol began draining into his system.

"Pound it, pound it, pound it!" forcefully encouraged Kisame, slamming his fist into his open palm for sound effects.

Alabaster eyes opened into saucers as the indigo-haired girl watched fearfully as the glass container was emptying before them.

When Itachi finally finished, he hurriedly shoved the bottle into his best friend's hands and reached for his half empty water. He chugged it in seconds.

"Whoo! Didn't think you had it in ya', man," his friend remarked, slamming his hand down on the raven-haired boy's back.

"That was am-m-mazing, Itachi-san," stuttered Hinata in awe. She'd never witnessed some pound a bottle so zealously.

Her words brought an embarrassed smile to the Uchiha's flushed visage. The booze was hitting him already and warming his being.

"Thanks, Hinata-san," he said somewhat awkwardly. He glanced at the back door, the idea of the cool night's breeze enticing him. "I think I'm going to go outback for some air. It's kind of hot in here." He took two steps towards the exit, stumbled, caught himself on the counter, and wobbled outside.

"Good grief," mumbled Kisame, snickering. "Itachi never paces himself. I better go make sure he's okay. See ya', Hinata-chan."

"O-okay."

The blue teenager went off after his friend and Hinata waited for Kiba to get back. It wasn't long until his return with two more lemon drops and when he did they seated themselves at the table to chat.

Three lemon drops later, Hinata was staggering into the front room feeling very wobbly. Her vision was going a little hazy and every step she took felt unbalanced. The thought of being tired occurred to her. She'd had a long day after all.

The indigo-haired girl glimpsed at the Inuzuka. He was blushing for some unknown reason and it made him look so . . . adorable. The Hyuuga felt her cheeks flare with a fire.

"H-hey, Kiba-kun?" The core of her being felt like it was being gravitated towards the boy, so she allowed herself to be towed along by the invisible force.

Two melty brown eyes blinked. "Yeah?"

"I f-feel funny," she slurred, syllables stringing together. Her eyelids felt weighted as her face had suddenly gotten significantly closer to Kiba's bronzed one.

"Me too," he breathed, leaning slightly forward. His lemony breath felt hot against the indigo-haired girl's mouth.

It felt like a nagging case of déjà vu, but the Hyuuga ignored it.

They suddenly snapped away from each other when there was a deafening smashing of glass. All heads in the vicinity whipped towards the front window. It was shattered and the back of a blue head disappeared through it.

Alarmed, Hinata raced to the opening, tripping once, to see a brawl on the front lawn. Kisame was taking on two other guys at once, a cheering circle was already forming around them as the spectators gathered.

"Kisame-kun!" she shouted, eyes wide with fear as her friends was knocked to the ground. His opponents piled onto his back, but it was ineffective.

The large blue highschooler wrapped an arm around each of the guys, stood, and threw them down on their own backs. Before the pummeling could get worse, Kakuzu was outside raving about the damage expenses.

"Kisame, you had better pay for that window!" he roared, brandishing a threatening fist. The last thing he needed was more maintenance bills after Deidara's last bombing escapade.

"They started it," defensively the shark-like boy retorted, jutting a thumb at the scrambling teens on the grass. The duo hastily got on their feet and ran.

Pointedly glaring at the offender, the dark-skinned highschooler scoffed, folding his solid arms over his chest. Kisame wasn't getting out of this one with such a lame excuse.

The excitement of the fight died and everyone started heading back inside.

"Hey, Hinata-chan," Konan greeted her, smiling widely. The elder girl looked slightly winded, having been dancing the night away since the music had begun. There was a beer in her hand and she raised it. "I haven't offered my congrats on becoming one us yet."

"Oh, arigato," the Hyuuga thanked her, blushing deeply.

A sly smile crept on the senior girl's face when she grabbed hold of the younger's wrist. "Come dance with me!" Without waiting for an answer, Hinata was pulled into the thrashing partiers.

Normally, the shy girl would have turned tail and ran, but right then her body felt loose and the music was soothing. The Hyuuga let herself go with the rhythm, earning encouragement from Konan.

Surprisingly, she found it was really quite enjoyable.

The newest Akatsuki member's ghostly eyes fluttered shut as the music absorbed into her. Arms floating above her regalia purple hair, her hips swayed back and forth. Her figure shook with the thumping beat. It was a high she'd never experienced before.

"Itachi!"

Regaining her sight, Hinata saw Konan pulling an uncomfortable looking Uchiha onto the dance floor.

"Dance with us!" commanded the blue-haired woman, giving his back a final shove. Giggling, she span in a circle, her cerulean locks twirling out around her. She danced around the stony-faced raven-haired boy once before he finally caved.

Rolling to ebony orbs, Itachi's features loosened and so did his frame.

For a while, Hinata stood frozen, staring in awe at the sight in front of her. She's never witnessed her sempai looking so carefree. It was mesmerizing.

However, Konan wasn't about to let her third dance partner just stand still. With a bit of coaxing the Hyuuga was convinced to dance with them. Though, with Itachi there she felt much more self-conscious.

The older girl looked sexy as she dropped it low and rose in a seductive manner, her booty coming dangerously close to the Uchiha's crotch. It was shocking to see the raven-haired boy respond, wrapping an arm around her middle and pulling his classmate against his figure. They swayed together for a second, before Konan retracted herself from his hold.

In her stead, she guided Hinata into Itachi's embrace. Sandwiching the Hyuuga between them. She was thankful that her back was to the Uchiha, for her face was beat red. The indigo-haired girl's body stiffened at the feeling of his pants rubbing against her rear, but Konan helped her with the movements.

The Hyuuga could feel her whole body reacting to the physical contact in a maddeningly good way. Her heart leapt and thrummed loudly. Her brain was jumbled and her body was left to work on autopilot.

Impulsively, Hinata reached her left arm up and around to glide her fingertips across Itachi's cheek. The action sparked a startling reaction.

Right there, in the middle of at least twenty people, the Uchiha took hold of the freshman's hips and twirled her around. When she faced him, her open palms rested on his toned chest, the fabric of his shirt was soft to the touch, but his lips were much softer.

Gradually, Itachi's arms encircled her body and the couple pulled away in a drunken daze. As his stormy eyes searched the girl's cherry-red face, Hinata relished the strong taste of alcohol that had been on the boy's breath.

From across the room, Pein stifled a laugh with the palm of his hand. It was a known fact that when Itachi drank, he drank a lot. He even earned the nickname 'Sloppy 'Tachi' for a while when he was first gaining his sea legs. The little Hyuuga couldn't hold her liquor either apparently and it produced the most delightful result. Even if it wasn't himself that had stolen her lips virginity, she certainly made things entertaining.

His spiraling silver eyes glimpsed at the blunette standing shell-shocked in the middle of the room. Though her expression was collected, her eyes held the truth.

Yes, life in Akatsuki was about to get very exciting.

…

TBC.

**Author's Note**:

How was that? DON'T WORRY, THIS IS NOT SOLELY AN ITAHINA FIC. It was just a drunken moment at a party. Happens all the time. However, did you like it?

I bet I got ya' with the Pein and Kiba moments. _

**And** really, I'm sorry 'bout the late update. I'll try to take as much time out of my life as possible to keep up with the updates. I've got an idea for the next chapter already, just got to get it all written out.

**Thank you to**: ppeach2, beanie300, Kira Acumichi, HinataxPein Lover, ShadowOwl, Seichi, SecretanimeFreak, Akatsuki-Fan389, White-Tainted-Red, hinataloover566, ikmss18, 1angel2heart, Jay-Boogie, Ash56, ViciousViper15, **and** Rose Takamora **for reviewing the last chapter**!

**Also**, Virivie : I'm sorry for the lack of Gaara! I promise I will explain, cos' I thought about it too. Just never added it in. I will be adding more Gaara! I'm just trying to start with the Akatsuki, since it's an AkaXHina fic. D:

**I have decided to make this a solely english fic do to a request and I don't want to have to explain what they all mean. So, I'm dropping most honorifics (not ones like "sempai" or" niisan" though) and other phrases.**

.**xXxXxXx**.

Is my fic up to par? Lacking in some other way? Something you want to see?

I'd love to know what you think of the story so far.

**So, please review~**


	15. Special Extra 2

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**IMPORTANT NOTICE: I EDITED THE THIRTEENTH CHAPTER AND ADDED AN EXTRA SCENE. **

**IF YOU HAVE ALREADY READ IT BEFORE, PLEASE GO BACK AND READ IT AGAIN.**

**THANK YOU.**

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* * *

.HGIGO EXTRA.

Everyone had always said that Ino Yamanaka was fearless. On the other hand, no one ever mentioned that she was irrefutably insane.

When the perky blonde had finally given up her crush on Sasuke everyone assumed that it was her childhood friend, Shikamaru, that she had finally been swayed by. They were all dead wrong. Her attraction to broody, unfriendly, slightly socially retarded men did not waver.

Her crystal blue eyes had landed on another, one she deemed to be of higher caliber than the punk ass Uchiha. He was one of the infamous Akatsuki members, the most dangerous band of thugs. His name was Kakuzu.

It had all started with the little Hyuuga girl. She was oh-so innocently cozying up to Sasuke Uchiha. Of course she'd been furious with the shy pretty girl from her middle school, at first, but it was Sasuke's actions that derailed her. For all the years Ino had known the Uchiha, he'd been cold and unresponsive to anyone, but there he was. Plain as day, the raven-haired heartthrob was smiling and _flirting_ with a girl.

The first thought that came to mind was 'it was war'. Her best friend Sakura Haruno had come to the same conclusion. They upped their game, trying everything for their crush to notice them, but it was useless.

It seemed that Ino was the only one of her friends to see this. Hinata Hyuuga had won. So, why embarrass herself trying over a little crush?

The rest of the group thought differently.

"We just have to get rid of the bitch," claimed Sakura confidently. Inwardly screaming, 'Once she's out of the way Sasuke will definitely fall for me!'

However, when the almost evil plan the pinkette had cooked up didn't sit well with the Yamanaka and when she refused to go to such lengths over a girl that Sasuke obviously _liked_, Sakura dumped her. Just like that, their friendship was over.

It was more heartbreaking than realizing she didn't have a chance with the Uchiha. Her friend from way back, from kindergarten, had tossed her aside for a guy. Friends were supposed to be there for each other, not turn on one another.

Ino felt nauseas when she wondered, 'is this how Ami felt?'

It was too overwhelming, she went running from the school building. Without thinking her feet carried her far away from where she had been. Panting heavily, the blonde took in her surroundings. She was behind the bleachers of the football field.

Safe from prying eyes, she let the tears well up in her sapphire orbs and spill down her cheeks. Sobbing into her hands, Ino couldn't help, but feel betrayed and stupid.

The blonde wasn't aware of how much time had passed until her eyes began to run dry, leaving her sniffling miserably.

"Eto," sounded a soft low voice from behind.

Through blurry eyes, she span around to see an upperclassman standing a foot away. From how tall the person was and his tone she easily assumed it was a guy.

"Are you . . . alright?" he asked her uncertainly.

Hastily wiping the water from her face, she blinked in rapid succession to clear her vision. The boy had a muscular build to accommodate his height. His fringe was thick, shaggy brownish-black, matching his deeply tan skin. His burly shoulders were decorated with stitch-like tattoos.

His face was rather a dark kind of handsome structure to it. Though it was his acidic pools of bright green eyes, that seemed to bore into her own brilliant blue ones, that really made him standout.

"My bad," he said finally, waving a hand in a dismissive fashion. "Never mind." He turned to leave.

"Wait!" Ino called out, taking an unconscious step forwards, reaching out to after him. The blonde felt embarrassed because, she'd been staring at him blankly. She had to fix her blunder.

The boy halted, glancing back at her with a look mixed with expectance and puzzlement. His body was angled at the side of the road, his shoulder parallel to Ino.

"Ano, thanks," she thanked him, blushing. "I was surprised, but thank you for checking on me. I really appreciate it."

"It's no big deal. I just saw you crying when I was smoking my cigarette."

'So, he's a delinquent,' she thought to herself. It kind of gave him a bad boy image in her mind. The heat rose in her cheeks.

"What's your name?"

"Kakuzu."

"Then arigato, Kakuzu-san," she thanked him once again. "I'm Ino."

Kakuzu nodded once and turned back around. Like an afterthought, he said over his shoulder, "There's going to be a party tonight on Mayonaka street. You won't be able to miss it."

Mentally chanting the address in her head, she enthusiastically reported, "I'll be there!"

"Okay, see you there. Oh, and cheer up, Ino-san." He lifted his arm as a gesture of parting.

The Yamanaka stood mesmerized, watching his retreating back.

The blonde inwardly decided, 'You can have Sasuke, Hinata. I found someone much better.' A smile graced her lips. Inwardly savoring the name, 'Kakuzu.'

**Author's Note**: I LOVE THIS PAIRING. KakuIno FTW.

I love Ino too much to have her be one of the antagonists of this story. D:

There will still be KakuHina, just with some added KakuIno.

Like it? Hate it? Let me know!

**Review please~**


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